ih 


^ 


DEPARTMENT  OF 

(jp  4-1  5 44- 


LXB1EIAII.Y  <3  IIP 

University  of  Illinois. 


feIMfs  are  not  to  be  taken  from  the  Library  Room. 


r5 


Preserving,  Pickling  J&  Canning 


FRUIT  MANUAL. 


CONTAINING 

A choice  collection  of  receipts  for  Preserving,  Pickling 
and  Canning  Fruits,  many  of  them  being 
original  from  housewives  of 
experience. 


BY  MRS.  M.  E.  PejJjovAcr-i^, 


PHILADELPHIA: 

G.  PETERSON  & CO., 

712  Sansom  Street. 

1869. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  ttie  year  18G9,  by 
GEO.  PETERSON, 

^ In  the  Clerk’s  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  States  in 
and  for  the  Eastern  District  of  Pennsylvania. 


JUL  O'?, 


C 

J 

0 PEEFACE. 

3° 


The  title  of  this  little  work  will  at  once  indicate 
to  the  reader  what  they  may  expect. 

If  this  “Manual”  becomes  a faithful  monitor  or 
guide,  not  only  to  the  young  and  inexperienced 
wife  or  house-keeper,  but  also  affords  new  and 
valuable  ideas  to  those  of  maturer  years,  then  we 
have  accomplished  the  end  for  which  we  started 
out. 

It  is  something  new , not  a mere  copy  of  receipts 
out  of  other  books,  as  many  of  them  are  the  results 
of  actual  practice  of  experienced  house-keepers, 
who  have  abundant  knowledge  on  the  subjects 
treated  of ; and  through  their  kindness  we  are  at 
liberty  to  give  others  advantage  of  their  knowl- 
edge. 


&>  A I 

1 pm 

REMOTE 


5 2/3 


IV 


PREFACE. 


In  several  cases,  a choice  can  be  exercised,  for 
we  mention  quite  a difference  in  putting  up  the 
same  article. 

The  demand  for  this  work  will  be  immense,  as 
the  country  is  teeming  with  fruit  of  all  kinds,  and 
the  cry  is  how  shall  we  save  it  for  future  use  t This 
can  be  answered  effectually  in  the  many  pages  of 
this  little,  but  useful  work. 

The  miscellaneous  part  will  furnish  much  valua- 
ble information,  that  could  not  be  put  under  any 
of  the  preceding  heads,  and  will  not  be  found  pub- 
lished elsewhere.  After  perusing  its  pages,  we 
venture  to  predict  you  will  not  be  without  one  of 
“Peterson’s  Preserving , Pichling,  and  Canning  Fruit 
Manuals’ ’ even  at  a cost  of  ten  times  its  price;  and 
we  believe  that  you  will  recommend  it  to  all  your 
friends. 


The  Author. 


PETERSON’S 


PRESERVING,  PICKLING  & CANNING 

FRUIT  MANUAL. 


PRESERVING  FRUITS,  &c. 

Preserving  is  much  more  of  an  art,  in  order  that 
the  fruit  may  keep  aright,  than  many  suppose. 
We  drop  the  following  hints:  It  is  not  generally 
known  that  boiling  it  a long  time,  and  skimming 
it  well  without  the  sugar  and  without  a cover  to 
the  preserving-kettle  is  a very  economical  and  ex- 
cellent way — economical,  because  the  bulk  of  the 
scum  rises  from  the  fruit , and  not  from  the  sugar , 
if  the  latter  is  good ; and  boiling  it  without  a cover , 
allows  the  evaporation  of  all  the  watery  particles 
therefrom ; the  preserves  keep  firm  and  better  fla- 
vored. The  grand  secret  is  to  deprive  the  fruit  of 
its  watery  vegetation  in  the  shortest  time  possible. 

1* 


6 Preserving  Fruits,  &c. 

Preserved  Peaches.  Mrs.  P’s. — Put  into  a kettle 
1 pound  of  fruit  and  sprinkle  on  them  three-quar- 
ters of  a pound  of  white  sugar,  and  just  water 
enough  to  wet  the  sugar;  boil  about  an  hour;  take 
some  out  in  a saucer,  and  if  they  dry  off  bright, 
with  a glazed  appearance,  they  are  done ; take  out 
and  put  in  jars,  filling  up  with  the  syrup ; cover 
up  tight  and  set  away  in  a cool  place. 

Preserved  Peaches.  Mrs.  S.’s — Take  ripe,  but  not 
soft  peaches.  Pour  boiling  water  over  them,  add- 
ing a little  washing  soda,  to  take  off  the  skins, 
which  will  pull  off  easily.  Weigh  equal  quanti- 
ties of  fruit  and  sugar,  and  put  them  together  in 
an  earthen  pan  over  night.  In  the  morning,  pour 
off  the  syrup  and  boil  a few  minutes ; set  off  the 
kettle  and  take  off  the  scum.  Put  back  the  kettle 
on  the  fire ; when  the  syrup  boils  up,  put  in  the 
peaches.  Boil  them  slowly  three-quarters  of  an 
hour,  take  them  out  and  put  in  jars.  Boil  the 
syrup  fifteen  minutes  more,  and  pour  over  them. 

Preserved  Peaches.  Common. — Take  ripe  peach- 
es; pare,  stone  and  quarter  them.  To  6 pounds  of 
the  cut  fruit,  allow  3 pounds  of  the  best  brown  su- 
gar. Strew  the  sugar  among  the  peaches,  and  set 
away  in  a covered  dish.  Next  morning,  put  the 
whole  into  a preserving-kettle,  and  boil  it  slowly 
about  an  hour  and  three-quarters,  skimming  it 


Preserving  Fruits,  &c. 


7 


well.  This  is  not  quite  so  nice  as  the  preceding 
ones,  but  will  answer  for  common  use. 

Preserved  Quinces.  Mrs.  P’s. — Pare,  core  and 
weigh  your  quinces ; boil  them,  until  done  soft,  in 
water ; then  take  them  out  with  a fork,  and  clean 
out  your  kettle;  put  them  back  again,  sprinkling 
over  them  three-quarters  of  a pound  of  sugar  to 
every  pound  of  fruit:  let  boil  in  the  syrup  half 
an  hour,  then  put  in  jars;  boil  your  syrup  suffi- 
ciently and  pour  over  them. 

Preserve  Peaches  with  Brandy —Take  4 pounds 
of  ripe  but  not  soft  peaches,  2 pounds  powdered  loaf 
sugar;  put  the  fruit  over  the  fire  in  cold  water — 
simmer,  but  not  boil,  till  the  skins  will  rub  off  ea- 
sily. Stone  them,  if  liked.  Put  the  sugar  and 
fruit  in  alternate  layers  in  the  jars,  till  filled;  then 
pour  in  white  brandy,  and  cover  the  whole.  Cork 
tightly. 

Preserved  Strawberries  whole. — Take  2 quarts 

of  clarified  syrup  to  8 pounds  of  fine  large  berries ; 
boil  them  gently,  taking  care  they  do  not  break. 
Repeat  this  boiling  three  times,  letting  them  stand 
a quarter  of  an  hour  to  cool  between  each.  Add 
to  them  2 quarts  of  apple  jelly  made  in  the  same 
way;  boil  it  up  three  times  more,  and  put  it  hot 
into  glasses  or  pots.  When  cold,  cover  up  tight 
and  set  away. 


8 Preserving  Fruits,  &c. 

Preserved  Strawberries.  Mrs.  P.’s—  Take  one 
pound  of  sugar  to  the  same  of  fruity  place  them  in 
your  kettle,  with  the  sugar  over  them,  and  let 
them  boil  20  or  30  minutes.  If  done  right,  they 
will  keep  for  years. 

Preserved  Strawberries.  Mrs.  J.’s.— Allow  one 
pound  of  sugar  to  each  pound  of  fruit.  Put  your 
sugar  into  a preserving-kettle,  with  just  water 
enough  to  prevent  its  scorching.  Dissolve  the  su- 
gar as  quickly  as  possible.  When  the  syrup  is 
hot,  put  in  your  berries,  let  them  cook  about  ten 
minutes,  skim  them  out  carefully,  and  let  the  syrup 
simmer  about  fifteen  minutes,  then  pour  it  over 
your  berries. 

Preserved  Pears.  Mrs.  P.’s. — Take  out  the  cores, 
cut  off  the  stems  (if  desirable),  and  pare  the  fruit. 
Boil  them  in  water  till  the  pears  are  tender;  watch 
them,  that  they  do  not  break  into  pieces ; lay  them 
separately  in  a plate  as  you  take  them  out.  To 
each  pound  of  pears,  take  three-quarters  of  a pound 
of  sugar.  Make  the  syrup,  and  boil  the  fruit  in 
it  till  clear.  A quince  or  two  added,  gives  it  a 
pleasant  taste,  which  to  many  is  preferable. 

Preserved  Cantelope  Bind.  Take  one  pound  of 
rind  not  quite  mellow,  and  cut  the  outside  care- 
fully off ; lay  it  in  a bowl,  and  sprinkle  over  it  1 


Preserving  Fruits,  &c. 


9 


teaspoonful  of  alum ; cover  it  with  boiling  water, 
and  let  it  stand  all  night ; then  dry  it  in  a cloth ; 
scald  it  in  ginger  tea,  but  do  not  boil  it ; then  dry 
it  again  in  a cloth;  to  1 pound  of  rind,  allow  1 
pound  of  sugar  and  half  a pint  of  water.  Boil  it 
an  hour. 

Preserved  Cherries,  Common. — To  12  pounds 
of  good  cherries,  stoned,  add  6 pounds  of  good 
brown  sugar;  let  them  cook  slowly  for  two  hours. 
They  will  be  very  good  for  common  use,  but  will 
not  keep  so  long. 

Preserved  Cherries.  Mrs.  P.’s.— Stone  your  cher- 
ries, saving  the  juice;  to  2 pounds  of  fruit,  stoned, 
use  H pounds  of  white  sugar;  boil  about  half  an 
hour,  but  do  not  put  in  any  water.  If  your  syrup 
is  not  thick  enough,  you  may  take  the  cherries 
out,  and  cook  it  a little  longer;  put  in  glass  jars. 

Preserved  Cherries,  Mrs.  C.’s. — Take  half  pound 
of  sugar  to  1 pound  of  cherries,  after  they  are 
stoned;  either  make  your  jelly  and  add  the  fruit, 
or  sugar  them  down  over  night  (the  latter  mode, 
is  preferable) ; they  will  keep  the  better  to  be  well 
boiled.  To  use  in  common,  take  4 pounds  of  su- 
gar (or  part  molasses  if  you  prefer  it)  to  12  pounds 
of  cherries.  Put  away  in  a cool  place. 

Preserved  Crabapple,— Bub  each  crabapple  with 
a clean  flannel ; prick  each  one  in  several  places 


10 


Preserving  Fruits,  &c., 


with  a needle  to  prevent  their  bursting.  To  every 
2 pounds  of  fruit,  allow  3 pounds  of  sugar  and  1 
quart  of  water.  Make  a syrup  of  the  sugar  and 
water;  boil  it  in  a porcelain  kettle,  skimming  it 
till  clear.  Put  in  the  crabapples,  adding  to  each 
pound,  the  juice  and  grated  rind  of  a lemon.  Put 
them  warm  into  glass  jars;  filling  the  jars  only 
half  full  of  fruit,  the  balance  of  good  syrup. 

Preserved  Tomatoes. — Scald  and  skin  them,  and 
weigh  equal  parts  of  sugar  and  fruit.  Let  the  to- 
matoes lie  on  a sieve  to  drain  olf  some  of  their  juice. 
Then  lay  them  carefully  in  layers  with  the  sugar 
into  a stone  jar.  Allow  one  lemon  to  every  four 
pounds  of  fruit,  and  put  the  juice  and  grated  rind 
of  one  on  each  layer.  Cover  the  jar  close,  and  set 
it  in  a pot  of  boiling  water,  and  let  it  boil  all  day 
long.  Be  sure  and  see  that  the  water  comes  up  to 
the  top  of  the  stone  jar,  but  does  not  boil  into  it. 
Let  the  jar  stand  in  the  water  till  it  is  cold,  after 
it  has  boiled  enough. 

Preserved  Tomatoes,  Mrs.  P.’s.— Take  the  green 
fig  tomatoes ; wash  them ; to  1 pound  of  the  fruit, 
use  three-quarters  of  a pound  of  sugar;  simmer 
slowly  for  1 hour,  then  put  in  one  lemon,  sliced, 
with  the  seeds  taken  out.  Cook  again  slowly  until 
they  are  clear,  and  have  a glazed  appearance  when 


Preserving  Fruits,  &c. 


11 


you  try  them,  by  taking  some  out  in  a saucer  and 
leaving  stand  till  cool.  As  you  take  them  off,  add 
a tablespoonful  extract  of  Jamaica  ginger. 

To  Imitate  Preserved  Ginger.— Take  lettuce  as 
it  is  beginning  to  run  to  seed,  cut  off  the  stalks,  and 
peel  all  the  stringy  part  of  them  till  only  the  heart 
is  left;  then  cut  into  pieces  about  the  size  West 
India  ginger  usually  is,  and  throw  the  pieces  into 
water  as  you  cut  them ; wash  it  well ; have  ready 
some  sugar  and  water,  in  the  proportion  of  1 pound 
of  the  former  to  5 pints  of  the  latter;  add  a large 
spoonful  of  powdered  ginger,  and  boil  the  whole 
together  for  20  minutes ; let  it  stand  two  days, 
then  boil  again  for  half  an  hour;  repeat  this  for 
several  times,  always  leaving  it  in  the  same  syrup ; 
then  drain  it  on  a sieve.  Put  into  your  syrup  as 
much  raw  ginger,  powdered,  as  will  make  it  taste 
quite  hot;  boil  the  mock  ginger  in  this  until  it 
looks  quite  clear  and  tastes  as  hot  as  India  ginger; 
put  it  in  pots,  and  when  cold,  tie  close  down.  If 
you  do  this  with  care,  it  will  be  difficult  to  detect 
the  mock  from  the  real  ginger. 

Preserved  Pumpkins.— Cut.  and  peel  a thick 
yellow  pumpkin  into  strips  two  or  three  inches 
wide  and  about  live  inches  long.  These  slices  may 
be  cut  into  diamonds,  hearts,  or  any  other  fancy 


12 


Preserving  Fruits,  &c. 


shape  you  wish.  It  should  not  be  over  ripe. 
Take  a pound  of  white  sugar  for  each  pound  of 
pumpkins,  and  scatter  it  over  the  fruit;  pour  on 
two  wine-glasses  of  lemon  juice  for  each  pound  of 
pumpkins.  Next  day,  put  the  parings  of  one 
lemon  with  it,  and  boil  the  whole  about  one  hour, 
or  long  enough  to  make  it  tender  and  clear  with- 
out breaking.  Lay  the  pumpkins  to  cool ; strain 
the  syrup,  and  then  pour  it  on  the  fruit.  If  there 
is  too  much  lemon-peel,  it  will  make  it  bitter. 
Put  in  glass  jars,  cover  with  the  syrup;  tie  down 
tight  with  oiled  paper,  and  you  have  a nice  and 
cheap  preserve. 

Preserved  Lemon.  Mrs.  J.’s. — Take  1 pound 
of  powdered  white  sugar ; I pound  of  fresh  butter ; 
6 eggs,  leaving  out  the  white  of  twTo  of  them ; the 
juice  and  rind  of  three  fine  lemons.  Put  all  into 
a kettle,  and  stir  gently  over  a slovr  fire  until  it  be- 
comes as  thick  as  honey.  Put  it  into  small  jars, 
and  keep  in  a cool,  dry  place,  covered  with  oiled 
paper. 

Preserved  Orange. — Of  one  dozen  oranges,  take 
nine,  wash  and  weigh  them ; put  them  wdiole  into 
a kettle  of  cold  water  and  let  them  boil  until  they 
are  soft — twenty  minutes  or  half  an  hour  is  enough. 
Then  cut  them  in  half,  crosswise ; take  out  the  seeds, 
and  with  a pair  of  scissors  cut  them  in  narrow 


Preserving  Fruits,  &c. 


13 


strips.  Then  add  the  weight  of  the  oranges  in  su- 
gar, and  the  juice  and  pulp  of  the  raw  oranges; 
let  them  stand  over  night ; cook  them  until  done, 
that  is,  until  the  syrup  is  nearly  jelly.  Sour  Mes- 
sina oranges  are  the  best.  A delicious  preserve. 

Preserved  Green  Gages. — Put  them  over  the  fire 
in  a kettle  with  a little  water ; j ust  let  them  get 
sufficiently  heated  to  skin.  When  done,  make  a 
jelly;  strain  or  skim  it,  (if  required,)  put  in  your 
gages  and  let  them  boil  until  done.  Sugar  in  pro- 
portion of  pound  to  pound  of  fruit.  Cover  up 
tight  in  jars,  and  keep  in  a cool  place. 

Purple  Plum  Preserve— If  you  want  them  nice, 
first  make  a jelly,  then  throw  in  your  plums  and 
let  boil  till  done — have  equal  weight  of  fruit  and 
sugar.  From  actual  experience  they  are  much 
better,  and  keep  better,  for  being  stoned  first ; then 
weigh  out  equal  quantity  of  plums,  and  let  remain 
all  night ; then  add  the  other  half  when  you  put 
them  in  the  kettle,  and  place  over  the  fire  the  next 
day. 

Preserved  Plums,  Mrs.  P.’s.— Stick  with  a large 
needle  in  several  places,  1 pound  of  fruit  to  1 
pound  of  sugar;  cook  slowly,  until  the  syrup  is 
thick  enough.  Put  in  glass  jars,  tie  up  tight,  and 

it  will  keep  for  years. 

2 


14 


Preserving  Fruits,  &c. 


Preserved  Apples. — Weigh  equal  quantities  of 
good  brown  sugar  and  of  apples;  peel,  core,  and 
mince  them  small.  Boil  the  sugar,  allowing  to 
every  3 pounds  a pint  of  water;  skim  it  well,  and 
boil  it  pretty  thick ; then  add  the  apples,  the  grated 
peel  of  one  or  two  lemons,  and  two  or  three  pieces 
of  white  ginger;  boil  till  the  apples  fall,  and  look 
clear  and  yellow. 

If  a very  nice  preserve  is  wanted,  use  loaf  sugar, 
then  the  apples  will  look  delicately  white. 

Preserved  Apricots— Simmer  slowly  your  fruit 
in  a little  water,  until  soft,  but  not  cracked. 
Make  a rich  syrup,  and  while  hot,  pour  over  your 
apricots,  after  they  have  been  thoroughly  drained 
and  dry  of  the  water.  You  can  add  a little  sliced 
ginger,  if  you  choose. 

Preserving  Fruits  in  Brandy— Gather  cherries, 
plums,  &c.,  before  they  are  quite  ripe,  and  soak 
them  for  five  or  six  hours  in  hard,  or  alum  water, 
to  render  them  firm,  as  the  moisture  of  the  fruit 
weakens  the  spirit.  To  each  quart  of  spirit,  add 
five  ounces  of  sugar  Put  in  glass  jars,  and  cover 
up  air-tight. 

Preserved  Rhubarb— Peel  one  pound  of  the 
finest  rhubarb,  and  cut  it  into  pieces  of  two  inches 
in  length,  and  three-quarters  of  a pound  of  white 
sugar,  and  the  rind  and  juice  of  one  lemon — the 


Preserving  Fruits,  &e. 


15 


rind  to  be  cut  into  narrow  strips.  Put  all  into  a 
preserving  kettle,  and  simmer  gently  until  the 
rhubarb  is  quite  s >ft ; take  it  out  carefully ' 
silver  spoon,  and  put  it  into  jars;  then  boil  the 
syrup  a sufficient  length  of  time,  to  make  it  keep 
well;  say  one  hour,  and  pour  it  over  the  fruit. 
When  cold,  put  a paper  soaked  in  brandy  over  it, 
and  tie  the  jars  down  with  a bladder  to  exclude 
the  air.  This  is  a very  good  receipt,  and  should 
be  taken  advantage  of  in  the  spring. 


Preserved  Pineapple.  Mrs.  P.’s. — Pick  your 
fruit  with  a fork  in  fine  pieces;  to  1 pound  of 
pineapple,  take  three-quarters  of  a pound  of  su- 
gar; simmer  slowly  together  until  the  syrup  be- 
comes thick.  Put  up  in  jars,  and  set  away  in  a 
cool  place  for  future  use. 


Preserved  Pineapple.  Mrs.  H.’s—  Take  1 pound 
of  fruit,  to  1 pound  of  sugar;  boil  the  slices  in 
water,  a few  at  a time,  till  clear;  then  make  a 
syrup  with  the  water  used  in  boiling  the  apples; 
cook  again  15  minutes,  or  until  they  are  tender 
enough.  If  the  syrup  is  not  thick  enough,  boil  it 
still  longer. 

Preserved  Raspberries  — ' Choose  raspberries  not 
too  ripe,  take  the  weight  of  them  in  sugar ; wet  the 
sugar  with  a little  water,  and  put  in  the  berries; 


16  Preserving  Fruits,  &c. 

let  them  boil  softly,  take  care  not  to  break  them ; 
when  clear,  take  them  up,  boil  the  syrup  until  it 
is  thick  enough ; then  put  them  in  again.  Do  not 
put  them  away  until  cold. 

Preserved  Gooseberries— Stalk  and  crop  6 
pounds  of  the  small,  red,  rough,  gooseberries ; put 
them  into  a preserving-pan,  and,  as  they  warm, 
stir  and  bruise  them  to  bring  out  the  juice.  Let 
them  boil  for  ten  minutes ; then  add  4 pounds  of 
sugar,  and  place  it  on  the  fire  again ; let  it  boil, 
and  continue  boiling  for  two  hours  longer,  stirring 
it  all  the  time  to  prevent  its  burning.  When  it 
thickens,  and  will  jelly  upon  a plate,  it  is  done 
enough.  Put  it  into  pots,  and  allow  it  to  remain 
a day  before  it  is  covered.  Keep  them  for  pies  or 
tarts ; they  are  excellent. 

Quince  and  Apple  Preserve —Take  one-third  of 
the  quantity  of  sweet  apples,  pared,  cored  and 
quartered;  two-thirds  of  quinces;  equal  weight  of 
sugar  and  fruit.  When  the  quinces  are  tender, 
take  them  out ; boil  the  apples  in  the  quince  water ; 
put  them  into  the  syrup,  and  let  boil  till  they  look 
red  and  clear — an  hour  and  a half  is  not  too  long. 
Do  not  boil  the  quinces  in  the  syrup,  but  put  lay- 
ers of  the  apples  when  done,  into  jars,  with  the 
quinces  previously  cooked  tender  in  water  and 
pour  the  syrup  over  them. 


Preserving  Fruits,  &c. 


17 


Preserved  Ginger —Take  green  ginger,  pare  it 
with  a sharp  knife,  and  then  throw  it  into  cold 
water  as  pared,  to  keep  it  white ; then  boil  it  till 
tender,  in  three  waters,  at  each  change  ]5utting  the 
ginger  into  cold  water.  For  seven  pounds  of  gin- 
ger, clarify  eight  pounds  of  refined  sugar;  when 
cold,  drain  the  ginger,  and  put  it  into  a pan,  with 
enough  of  the  syrup  to  cover  it,  and  let  it  stand 
two  days ; then  pour  the  syrup  to  the  remainder 
of  the  sugar,  and  boil  it  some  time;  when  cold, 
pour  it  on  the  ginger  again,  and  set  it  by  for  three 
days ; then  boil  the  syrup  again,  and  pour  it  hot 
over  the  ginger.  Proceed  thus  till  you  find  the 
ginger  rich  and  tender,  and  the  syrup  is  highly 
flavored.  If  you  put  the  syrup  on  hot  at  first,  or 
if  too  rich,  the  ginger  will  shrink,  and  not  take 
the  sugar. 


1 of 
pv 


Preserved  Citron.  Mrs.  P.’s. — Cut  your  citrons 
in  slices  an  inch  thick,  and  pare  them ; take  out 
the  seeds ; then  weigh  out  half  pound  of  sugar,  to 
each  pound  of  fruit  thus  prepared.  Boil  the  cit- 
ron in  clear  water  until  tender;  take  out,  and 
drain  perfectly  dry  from  the  water;  after  which, 
put  in  the  kettle  and  sprinkle  the  sugar  over  them, 
slightly  dampened  with  the  water  they  were  previ- 
ously boiled  in;  slice  about  one  lemon  for  each 
pound,  and  add  to  the  above;  let  cook  until  the 
2*  B 


18 


Preserving  Fruits,  &c. 


syrup  is  thick ; when  done,  you  may  add  (if  you 
choose)  a little  extract  of  Jamaica  ginger.  It  im- 
proves the  taste  very  much. 

Preserved  Cucumbers.  Mrs.  G.’s .— Take  large 
and  fresh-gathered  cucumbers;  split  them  down 
and  takeout  the  seeds;  lay  them  in  salt  and  water 
that  will  bear  an  egg,  three  days;  set  them  then 
on  the  fire,  with  fresh  vrater,  adding  a little  alum ; 
boil  them  a few  minutes,  or  till  tender;  drain,  and 
pour  on  them  a thin  syrup;  let  them  lie  two  days 
boil  the  syrup  again,  and  put  it  over  the  cucum- 
bers ; repeat  it  twice  more,  then  have  ready  some 
fresh-clarified  sugar,  boiled  to  a thin  syrup ; put  in 
your  cucumbers,  and  simmer  for  ten  minutes;  set 
it  by  till  next  day;  boil  the  syrup  and  cucumbers 
again  for  ten  minutes,  then  put  in  glass  and  set  in 
a cool  place,  covered  up  tight,  and  you  will  have 
an  excellent  and  new  dish  to  set  before  your  friends. 
You  can  (if  you  choose)  add  a lemon,  sliced. 

Preserved  Lemons.  Mrs.  S.’s.— Scald  your  lem- 
ons, then  cut  them  in  slices,  and  add  1 pound  of 
sugar  to  every  pound  of  fruit ; simmer  them  slovdy 
until  the  lemons  are  clear  and  the  syrup  thick 
enough;  put  in  glass  jars,  and  set  in  a cool  place, 
after  tying  them  up  tight. 


Pickling. 


19 


PICKLING-. 

This  branch  of  domestic  economy  comprises  a 
great  variety  of  articles  which  are  essentially  ne- 
cessary to  the  convenience  of  families.  It  is  at  the 
same  time  too  prevalent  a practice  to  make  use  of 
brass  utensils  to  give  pickles  a fine  color.  This  per- 
nicious custom  is  easily  avoided  by  heating  the  li- 
quor, and  keeping  it  in  a proper  degree  of  warmth 
before  it  is  poured  upon  the  pickle.  Stone  jars  are 
the  best  adapted  for  sound  keeping.  Pickles  should 
never  be  handled  with  the  finger,  but  by  a spoon 
kept  for  the  purpose. 

Another  great  matter  essential  to  pickling,  so 
they  may  keep,  is  to  have  good  cider  or  wine  vine- 
gar, not  that  acid  and  vitriol  trash  sold  at  many 
of  our  groceries ; so  I repeat,  be  sure  to  have  a good 
article  of  vinegar. 

Cucumber  Pickles. — Take  two  or  three  hundred, 
lay  them  on  a dish,  salt  them,  and  let  them  remain 
eight  or  nine  hours;  then  drain  them,  and,  laying 
them  in  a jar,  pour  boiling  vinegar  upon  them. 
Place  them  near  the  fire,  covered  with  vine-leaves. 
If  they  do  not  become  sufficiently  green,  strain  off 
the  vinegar,  boil  it,  and  again  pour  it  over  them, 
covering  with  fresh  leaves.  Continue  to  do  so  till 
they  become  as  green  as  you  wish. 


20 


Pickling. 


Cucumber  Pickles.  Mrs.  II' s. — Take  encumbers 
as  free  as  possible  from  spots  and  put  them  in  very 
strong  brine  for  forty-eight  hours,  and  from  that 
into  good  cider  vinegar  to  suit  your  taste.  By 
pouring  scalding  vinegar  over  them,  with  a little 
alum  in  it,  for  a few  minutes,  they  become  green  ; 
then  put  back  into  the  spiced  vinegar.  They  are 
good  in  three  weeks,  and  will  keep  two  years 
sound  and  crisp.  Try  it. 

Cucumber  Pickles.  Mrs.  P.’s. — Throw  them  into 
some  salt  and  water  for  a few  days,  or  a week ; 
then  take  them  out  and  rinse  off  with  clean  water ; 
put  them  into  a stone  jar,  and  pour  your  vinegar, 
while  hot,  over  them ; let  them  stand  a few  weeks, 
then  put  them  into  a brass  kettle,  vinegar  and  all, 
with  a little  alum,  and  let  them  scald  slowly;  do 
not  let  them  come  to  a boil ; they  will  now  be 
green;  add  onion,  horse-radish,  mustard-seed  and 
pepper  according  to  your  choice  of  taste.  Oak 
leaves  scattered  among  the  pickles,  and  covered 
over  the  top,  will  prevent  the  necessity  of  ever 
scalding  them. 

Cucumber  Pickles.  Ripe—  Take  large  and  ripe 
cucumbers  before  they  become  soft ; cut  in  rings, 
pare,  divide  in  smaller  pieces  and  remove  the 
seeds ; cook  the  pieces  very  slightly  in  water  salted 
just  enough  to  flavor  well;  drain,  and  put  in  a 


Pickling. 


21 


stone  jar.  Prepare  a vinegar  as  follows:  Two 
pounds  of  sugar  to  two  quarts  of  vinegar;  a few 
slices  of  onions;  some  cayenne  pepper;  whole  all- 
spice, whole  cloves,  cinnamon  according  to  one’s 
judgment  and  taste. 

Much  cooking  injures  the  pickle  very  much ; the 
pieces  should  be  firm  and  admit  a silver  fork  with 
difficulty,  when  taken  from  the  fire. 

Gherkin  Pickles. — Put  about  two  hundred  and 
fifty  in  a strong  pickle,  and  let  them  remain  seve- 
ral hours;  put  them  in  a sieve  to  drain,  wipe  them, 
and  place  them  in  a stone  jar.  Take  1 gallon  best 
vinegar ; 6 ounces  common  salt ; 1 ounce  each,  of 
the  following:  Allspice,  mustard  seed,  cloves  and 
mace;  add  1 sliced  nutmeg;  a stick  of  horse-radish 
sliced;  boil  fifteen  minutes,  skim  it  well.  When 
cold,  pour  it  over  the  gherkins,  and  let  stand 
twenty-four  hours,  covered  up;  put  them  into  a 
kettle  over  the  fire,  and  let  them  simmer  only  until 
they  attain  a green  color.  Put  in  your  jars,  and 
tie  down  closely  with  bladder. 

Beet-Boot  Pickles. — Boil  the  root  till  tender; 
then  peel  it,  and  (if  agreeable),  cut  it  into  shapes ; 
pour  over  it  a hot  pickle  of  white  vinegar,  a little 
ginger,  pepper  and  horse-radish  sliced. 


22 


Pickling. 


Red  Cabbage  Pickles,  Mrs.  P.'s. — Slice  them 
into  a sieve,  and  sprinkle  eaeh  layer  with  salt;  too 
much  will  spoil  the  color.  Let  the  whole  drain 
three  days;  then  add  some  sliced  beet-root,  and 
place  the  whole  in  ajar,  over  which  pour  boiling 
vinegar.  The  purple  red  cabbage  is  the  finest. 
Mace,  bruised  ginger,  whole  pepper,  horse-radish 
and  cloves,  may  be  boiled  with  the  vinegar,  and 
will  make  a great  improvement. 

Red  Cabbage  Pickles.  Mrs.  S.'s. — Cut  the  red 

cabbage  in  thin  slices,  spread  it  on  a sieve,  and 
sprinkle  it  with  salt.  Let  it  drain  twenty-four 
hours;  dry  it,  and  then  pack  it  in  pickle  jars,  fill 
up  the  jars  with  cold  vinegar,  put  in  spices  to  taste, 
and  tie  the  jars  down  with  bladders.  In  a few 
days  open  the  jars  again,  and  if  the  vinegar  should 
have  shrunk,  fill  them  up  again. 

Cucumber  and  Onion  Pickles— To  a dozen  fine 
# cucumbers,  allow  three  large  onions ; pare  the  cu- 
cumbers and  peel  the  onions,  and  cut  both  into 
thick  slices ; sprinkle  salt  and  pepper  on  them,  and 
let  them  stand  till  next  day.  Drain  them  well, 
and  put  them  in  a stone  jar;  pour  boiling  vinegar 
on  them,  close  the  jar,  and  set  it  in  a warm  place. 
Next  day,  repeat  the  boiling  vinegar,  and  cork  the 
jar.  A small  bag  of  mace,  nutmeg  and  ginger 
may  be  added  in  the  last  boiling. 


Pickling. 


23 


Pepper-Pod  Pickles. — Gather  the  pods,  with  the 
stalks  on,  before  they  turn  red;  cut  a slit  down 
the  side  with  a penknife,  and  take  out  the  seeds, 
but  as  little  of  the  meat  as  possible;  lay  them  in 
a strong  brine  for  three  days,  changing  every  day ; 
then  take  them  out,  lay  them  on  a cloth,  and  lay 
another  over  them ; put  into  it  some  mace  and  nut- 
meg, beat  small ; put  the  pods  into  a glass  or  jar, 
and  when  the  liquor  is  cold,  pour  it  over ; then  tie 
a bladder  over  them. 

Mushroon  Pickles.  Large . — Pick  them  carefully, 
and  take  out  the  stalks;  put  them  into  ajar,  and 
pour  on  them  boiling  spiced  vinegar,  with  a little 
salt  in  it.  Use  stone  jars. 

Plum  Pickles, — To  every  quart  of  plums,  allow 
one-half  pound  of  sugar,  and  one  pint  of  best  cider 
vinegar.  Melt  the  sugar  in  the  vinegar,  and  put 
spices  of  all  sorts  in  a fine  muslin  bag,  and  boil  up 
with  the  sugar  and  vinegar.  When  the  sugar  and 
spiced  vinegar  boils  up,  put  in  the  plums,  and  give 
them  one  good  boil.  If  you  wish  to  keep  the 
plums  whole,  prick  them  with  a needle 

Asparagus  Pickles.  Mrs.  P.’s—  Scrape  them, 
and  cut  off  the  prime  parts  at  the  ends ; wipe  them, 
and  lay  them  carefully  in  a stone  pot ; pour  vine- 
gar over  them;  let  them  lie  in  this  two  weeks; 


24 


Pickling. 


boil  some  fresh  vinegar,  pour  it  on  them  hot;  re- 
peat this  till  they  are  of  a good  color,  covering 
them  close;  add  mace  and  nutmeg  if  you  choose. 
They  do  very  well  in  a made  dish,  when  asparagus 
is  not  to  be  had ; but  when  they  are  used,  lay  them 
in  warm  water  for  a short  time. 

Bean  Pickles.  Mrs.  JJs. — Procure  young  beans 
from  the  late  crops;  boil  them  in  water  slightly 
salted,  till  tender;  throw  them  in  a strainer,  with 
a dish  covered  over  them  to  drain;  when  done 
dripping,  lay  them  out  on  a dry  cloth,  and  wipe 
dry.  Pour  boiling  vinegar,  spiced,  over  them ; re- 
peat this  two  or  three  days,  or  till  they  look  green, 
and  you  will  have  excellent  pickles.  They  are 
delicious  and  delicate  for  tea.  May  be  done  in 
the  same  way  as  gherkins,  though  they  do  not  re- 
quire so  long  a time. 

Lemon  Pickles. — Peel  very  thinly,  six  lemons  ; 
take  off  the  white,  and  cut  the  pulp  into  slices,  ta- 
king out  the  seeds.  Put  the  peel  and  pulp  into  a 
jar,  sprinkle  between  them  two  ounces  of  fine  salt; 
cover  the  jar,  and  let  it  stand  three  days;  then 
boil  in  a quart  of  vinegar,  six  cloves,  three  blades 
of  mace,  two  or  three  shalots,  and  two  ounces  of 
bruised  mustard-seeds;  pour  it  boiling,  over  the 
lemons  in  the  jar,  and  when  cold,  tie  over;  in  a 
month,  strain,  and  bottle  the  liquor,  and  the  lem- 


Pickling. 


25 


ons  may  be  eaten  as  pickles.  This  makes  a useful 
sauce,  especially  for  veal  cutlets,  and  minced  veal. 

Lemon  Pickles.  Mrs.  C.’s. — They  should  be 
small,  and  with  thick  rind.  Rub  them  with  a 
piece  of  flannel;  then  slit  them  half  down  in  four 
quarters,  but  not  through  to  the  pulp ; fill  the  slits 
with  salt  hard  pressed  in ; set  them  upright  in  a 
pan  for  four  or  five  days,  until  the  salt  melts ; turn 
them  thrice  a day  in  their  own  liquid,  until  tender; 
make  enough  pickle  to  cover  them,  of  vinegar,  the 
brine  of  the  lemons,  Jamaica  pepper  and  ginger; 
boil  and  skim  it;  when  cold,  put  it  to  the  lemons, 
with  two  ounces  of  mustard-seed,  and  two  cloves 
of  garlic  to  six  lemons.  When  the  lemons  are 
used,  the  pickle  will  be  useful  in  fish  or  other 
sauces. 

Sweet  Pickles,  Mrs.  P.’s. — Roil  together  three 
pounds  of  sugar;  1 pint  of  good  vinegar,  spiced  to 
suit  taste;  fill  your  jars  with  clean  and  sound  fruit, 
such  as  peaches,  pears,  plums,  cherries  and  grapes; 
(each  in  separate  jars),  then,  when  the  vinegar  is 
cool,  put  it  on  the  fruit ; let  stand  all  night ; then 
pour  off,  and  boil  it  down  a little  ; then  cool,  and 
pour  on  again ; cover  nicely,  and  set  away  in  a 
cool  place.  If  at  any  time  you  discover  a white 
scum  on  the  top,  skim  it  off ; pour  off  the  vinegar, 
and  add  a little  sugar  and  boil  it ; when  cool,  pour 
3 


26 


Pickling. 


it  on  again,  and  you  have  a delightful  pickle; 
good  and  safe  to  keep  a year  at  least. 

Piccalilli,  or  Indian  Pickle —Take  white  cab- 
bage quartered,  cauliflowers,  cucumbers,  melons, 
apples,  French  beans,  plums;  all,  or  any  of  these; 
lay  them  on  a hair  sieve,  strew  over  a large  hand- 
ful of  salt ; set  them  in  the  sun  for  three  or  four 
days,  or  till  very  dry.  Then  put  them  into  a stone 
jar  with  the  following  pickle:  Put  a pound  of  gin- 
ger into  salt  and  water ; the  next  day  scrape  and 
slice  it,  salt  it  and  dry  it  in  the  sun ; put  it  into  a 
gallon  of  good  vinegar,  with  two  ounces  of  pepper, 
half  an  ounce  of  tumeric,  a quarter  of  a pound  of 
mustard-seed  bruised;  stop  the  pickle  close;  then 
prepare  the  cabbage,  &c.  If  the  fruit  is  put  in,  it 
must  be  green.  The  jar  need  never  be  emptied, 
but  put  in  the  things  as  they  come  into  season, 
adding  fresh  vinegar. 

Onion  Pickles. — Peel  the  onions  till  they  look 
white ; boil  some  strong  salt  and  water,  and  pour  it 
over  them,  let  them  stand  in  this  twenty-four  hours ; 
keep  the  vessel  closely  covered  to  retain  the  steam ; 
« after  that,  wipe  the  onions  quite  dry,  or  drain  on 
a hair  sieve;  and  put  them  into  wide-mouthed 
bottles ; when  they  are  cold,  pour  boiling  vinegar, 
with  ginger  and  white  pepper  over  them ; take  care 
the  vinegar  always  covers  the  onions. 


Pickling. 


27 


Watermelon  Pickles.  Mrs.  W.’s. — Take  ten 
pounds  of  watermelon  rinds,  boiled  in  pure  wa- 
ter until  they  are  tender ; drain  the  water  off,  then 
make  a syrup  of  two  pounds  of  $ugar,  one  quart 
of  vinegar,  half  an  ounce  of  cloves,  one  ounce  of  > l 
cinnamon.  The  syrup  to  be  boiled  and'q^Eed^ 
over  the  melon  rinds  boiling  hot.  Drain  the  syrup 
off,  and  let  it  come  to  a boil,  and  pour  it  over  the 
melon  three  days  in  succession.  The  rinds  pre- 
pared in  this  way  far  surpass  any  pickles  we  ever 
tasted.  It  will  keep  from  one  year  to  another,  if 
corked  tight.  If  the  vinegar  evaporates,  put 
more  on. 

Poach  Pickles.  Free-Stone. — Take  eight  large, 
free-stone  peaches ; wipe  off  the  down  with  flannel 
and  put  them  into  a brine  strong  enough  to  bear 
an  egg.  In  two  days,  take  them  out  and  drain 
them  through  a sieve ; tie  in  a bag,  one  ounce,  each, 
whole  white  pepper  and  broken  up  ginger ; add  two 
ounces  of  mustard-seed.  Boil  this  seasoning  in  a 
quart  of  the  best  vinegar;  put  the  peaches  in  ajar, 
and  pour  the  hot  vinegar  over  them. 

Peach  Pickles.  Clings. — Select  ripe  cling-stone 
peaches.  To  1 gallon  of  good  vinegar,  add  4 
pounds  of  brown  sugar ; boil  this  for  a few  minutes, 
and  take  off  any  scum  that  rises.  Bub  the  peaches 
with  a flannel,  to  remove  the  down;  stick  a clove 


28 


Pickling. 


in  each ; put  them  in  glass  jars,  and  pour  the  liq- 
uor upon  them  boiling  hot.  When  cold,  coyer  the 
jars,  and  let  them  stand  in  a cool  place  for  a week 
or  ten  days ; then  pour  off  the  liquor,  and  boil  it 
as  before ; pour  it  again  upon  the  peaches  while 
boiling,  then  carefully  cover  and  put  away  for  fu- 
ture use.  If  the  peaches  are  very  hard,  boil  them 
in  water  till  tender  before  you  pickle  them,  and 
they  will  be  fit  for  use  sooner. 

Musk  Melon  Mangoes —Take  small  musk  mel- 
ons and  cut  an  oval  piece  out  of  one  side ; take  out 
the  seeds  with  a teaspoon,  and  fill  this  space  with 
a stuffing  of  chopped  onions,  scraped  horse-radish, 
mustard-seed,  cloves,  and  pepper  corns,  and  sew 
in  the  piece  with  a needle  and  coarse  thread.  Put 
them  in  a jar,  and  pour  boiling  vinegar,  with  a 
little  salt  in  it,  over  them.  Do  this  two  or  three 
times,  then  put  them  in  fresh  vinegar.  Keep  in 
stone  jars,  or  pots  tightly  covered. 

Capsr  Pickles. — What  are  capers?  They  are 
the  flower-buds  of  a small  shrub,  preserved  in 
pickle ; the  tree  that  bears  them  is  called  the  ca- 
per shrub  or  brush ; it  is  common  in  some  parts  of 
Europe,  though  we  have  some  in  our  gardens. 
The  buds  are  gathered  from  the  blossom  before 
they  open;  then  spread  them  upon  the  floor,  or 
where  no  sun  enters ; let  them  lie  till  they  begin  to 


Pickling. 


29 


wither;  then  throw  them  into  a tub  of  sharp  vine- 
gar, and  after  three  days,  add  a quantity  of  salt. 
They  are  imported  and  sold  in  our  stores. 

Walnut  Pickles. — Put  a hundred  large  walnuts 
into  a stone  jar;  take  4 ounces  of  black  pepper;  1 
ounce  each,  Jamaica  pepper,  ginger,  and  cloves; 
1 pint  of  mustard-seed,  4 handsful  of  salt ; bruise 
the  spice  and  seed;  boil  them  in  vinegar  sufficient 
to  cover  them ; when  cold,  pour  over  them ; two 
days  after,  boil  up  the  pickle,  pour  it  on  the  nuts 
immediately ; cover  up  close,  and  repeat  this  two 
or  three  times. 

You  can  use  the  vinegar  off  most  vegetables,  and 
walnuts  in  particular,  by  chopping  up  anchovies 
small  and  boiling  a little  with  it.  After  standing 
several  days,  pour  off  and  bottle.  It  is  an  excel- 
lent sauce  for  hashes,  fish,  and  various  other  pur- 
poses. 

Grape  Pickles. — Let  the  grapes  be  at  their  full 
growth,  but  not  ripe;  put  them  in  a stone  jar,  with 
vine  leaves  between  every  layer  of  grapes,  till  the 
jar  is  full;  pour  over  them  strong  brine,  and  set 
them  where  they  wTill  keep  warm  for  two  days; 
pour  off  the  brine ; take  out  the  fruit ; wash  and 
dry  them;  then  take  2 quarts  of  vinegar  and  1 
pound  coarse  sugar ; add  1 pint  of  wTater  and  let 

it  boil  a short  time ; skim  it  as  it  boils ; put  the 
3* 


30 


Pickling. 


fruit  in  a clean  jar,  with  leaves  between  each  layer 
of  grapes,  and  pour  the  vinegar  over  them ; always 
keep  them  under  the  pickle. 

Nasturtlon  Pickles.  Mrs.  P.’s. — Soak  them  three 
days  in  salt  and  water ; change  the  brine  once  du- 
ring that  period ; then  pour  off  the  brine ; put  them 
in  glass  jars  after  washing  and  drying  them;  fill 
the  jars  with  boiling  hot  vinegar;  cover  up  tight, 
and  set  away  in  a cool  place. 

Peach  Mangoes. — Steep  the  peaches  in  brine  for 
two  days ; cut  a small  piece  out  of  each,  and  care- 
fully take  out  the  stones;  make  a filling  for  the 
places  that  were  occupied  with  the  stones,  of  fresh 
mustard-seed  moistened  with  vinegar,  scraped  horse- 
radish, powdered  ginger,  a clove  of  garlic  or  a small 
onion,  and  a very  little  red  pepper ; also,  a little 
powdered  mace  and  a little  chopped  peach;  stuff 
the  peaches  hard  with  this  mixture;  replace  the 
bits  that  were  cut  out,  and  tie  up  the  peaches  with 
pack-thread ; boil  a quart  of  vinegar,  seasoned  with 
spices  tied  up  in  a bag;  when  it  has  boiled  ten  mi- 
nutes, pour  it  hot  over  the  mangoes  into  a stone 
jar ; add  at  the  top  a tablespoon  of  salad-oil.  Cork 
the  jar,  and  tie  leather  over  it. 

Eadish-Pod  Pickles.  Mrs.  P.’s. — Gather  the  rad- 
ish-pods when  they  are  quite  young  and  tender ; 


Pickling. 


31 


put  them  into  salt  and  water  over  night;  then  boil 
the  salt  and  water,  and  pour  it  over  the  pods  in 
jars,  and  cover  them  closely  to  keep  in  the  steam. 
When  the  brine  is  cold,  boil  it,  and  pour  it  hot 
upon  the  pods  again ; repeating  the  process  until 
they  are  green ; then  put  them  in  a sieve  to  drain, 
and  make  a pickle  for  them  of  white-wine  vinegar, 
mace,  ginger,  long-peppers,  and  horse-radish ; pour 
it  boiling  hot  upon  the  pods,  and  when  nearly  cold, 
boil  it  again,  and  pour  it  over  them.  When  cold, 
tie  down  the  jars  and  set  away. 

Tomato  Pickles, — To  8 pounds  skimmed  toma- 
toes, add  4 pounds  of  brown  sugar.  Put  them  in 
a preserving-kettle,  and  stir  often  to  prevent  them 
from  burning.  Boil  it  to  the  thickness  of  molas- 
ses ; then  add  1 quart  of  good  cider  vinegar,  1 tea- 
spoonful each,  mace  and  cloves,  and  boil  five  mi- 
nutes longer.  They  are  very  nice  indeed. 

Butternut  Pickles. — Gather  them  the  last  week 
in  June.  Make  and  skim  a brine  of  salt  and  wa- 
ter, strong  enough  to  bear  up  an  egg  when  it  is 
cold.  Pour  it  on  the  nuts,  and  let  them  lie  in  it 
twelve  days.  Drain  them,  lay  them  in  a jar,  and 
pour  over  them  the  best  of  cider  vinegar,  which 
has  been  previously  boiled  with  pepper  corns, 
cloves,  allspice,  white  mustard-seed,  ginger,  mace, 
and  horse-radish.  This  vinegar  must  be  cold  when 


32 


Pickling. 


poured  on ; cover  close,  and  keep  one  year  before 
using.  Walnuts  are  pickled  in  the  same  way,  and 
the  vinegar  may  be  used  as  catsup,  for  it  is  very 
nice. 

Pickling  Chow-Chow. — Add  to  a quarter  peck 

of  green  tomatoes,  one  quarter  peck  white  onions; 
one  quarter  peck  pickling  beans;  1 dozen  green 
cucumbers ; 1 dozen  green  peppers ; 1 large  head 
of  cabbage.  Season  with  mustard  and  celery  seed ; 
salt  to  suit  the  taste.  Cover  the  mixture  with  the 
best  cider  vinegar.  Boil  two  hours  slowly,  stirring 
continually,  and  add  two  tablespoonsful  of  sweet 
oil  while  hot.  Put  in  stone  jars. 

Egg  Pickles. — Boil  them  twelve  minutes,  and 
throw  them  into  cold  water  to  make  the  shells  come 
off  easily.  Boil  some  red  beets  very  soft,  peel  and 
mash  fine,  and  put  them  with  salt,  pepper,  cloves, 
and  nutmegs,  into  vinegar  enough  to  cover  the 
eggs.  Put  the  eggs  in  a jar,  and  pour  the  mixture 
over  them. 

Peppers  and  Cabbage  Pickle.  Mrs.  P.’s.— Take 

25  peppers,  without  the  seeds;  cut  them  up  pretty 
fine ; then  take  more  than  double  the  quantity  of  - 
cabbage,  cut  fine  like  slaw ; a root  of  horse-radish 
grated,  a handful  of  salt,  a large  tablespoonful  of 
cloves,  some  of  allspice  ground ; warm  a sufficient 


Pickling. 


S3 


quantity  of  vinegar  to  cover  it,  and  pour  over  it, 
mixing  it  well  through.  Put  in  stone  jars,  tie  up 
tight,  and  set  away  in  a cool  place. 

t Green  Pickles. — One  peck  of  tomatoes;  eight 
green  peppers,  to  be  chopped  fine,  and  soaked 
twenty-four  hours  in  weak  brine ; then  skim  out, 
and  add  one  head  of  cabbage  chopped  fine ; and 
scald  in  vinegar  twenty  minutes.  Skim  it  out,  and 
put  in  the  jar,  and  add  three  pints  of  grated  horse- 
radish and  spices,  as  you  please.  Pour  over  cold 
vinegar. 

Sweet  Apple  Pickles— Scald  the  apples  in  boil- 
ing water,  and  to  1 peck  of  apples,  use  4 quarts  of 
vinegar,  and  8 pounds  of  sugar;  add  spice  to  suit 
your  taste.  Apples  will  keep  this  way  for  years, 
and  look  as  well  as  when  they  were  first  put  in. 
Put  in  glass  jars,  as  the  fruit  looks  so  much  nicer, 
and  cover  tight  with  oiled  paper  or  bladder. 

Cauliflower  Pickles —Take  large,  ripe,  full- 
blown cauliflowers;  divide  the  pieces  into  equal 
parts ; throw  them  into  a kettle  of  boiling  water, 
"'and  boil  them  well ; take  them  out  with  a skimmer, 
and  lay  them  on  a sieve  to  drain ; put  them  into 
stone  jars,  three  parts  full;  put  a little  mace  into 
cider  vinegar,  and  simmer  it  for  a quarter  of  an 
hour;  pour  it  hot  over  the  cauliflowers,  filling  the 
C 


34 


Pickling. 


jars  up  to  the  top.  Spices  tied  in  a bag  and  boiled 
with  the  vinegar,  improves  them  very  much.  Put 
in  stone  jars. 

Green  Tomatoe  Pickles- — Cut  in  thin  slices  one 
peck  of  green  tomatoes ; sprinkle  them  with  salt,  and 
let  them  stand  a day  or  two.  Slice  ten  or  twelve 
small  onions.  Mix  together  one  bottle  or  small  tin 
box  of  mustard ; half  an  ounce  of  mustard-seed ; one 
ounce  of  cloves ; one  ounce  of  pimento ; two  ounces 
of  turmeric.  Put  in  the  kettle  a layer  of  tomatoes, 
then  one  of  onions  and  spice,  till  all  are  in.  Cover 
it  with  good  vinegar,  and  let  it  simmer  till  the  to- 
matoes are  quite  clear. 

Put  away  for  winter  use. 

Egg  Tcmatoe  Pickles, — Take  fine,  ripe  tomatoes, 
and  wipe  them  dry,  taking  care  not  to  break  the 
skin.  Put  them  into  a stone  jar  with  cold  vinegar, 
adding  a small  thin  muslin  bag  filled  with  mace ; 
whole  cloves,  and  whole  peppers.  Then  cork  the 
jar  tightly  with  a cork  that  has  been  dipped  in 
melted  rosin,  and  put  it  away  in  a dry  place.  To- 
matoes pickled  in  this  manner  keep  perfectly  well, 
and  retain  their  color. 


Jellies,  Marmalades,  &c. 


35 


JELLIES,  MARMALADES,  &c. 

Currant  Jolly.  Mrs.  P.’s—  To  1 pound  of  loaf 
sugar,  add  1 pint  of  currant  juice.  If  it  requires 
it — clarify  or  strain  both.  Boil  twenty  or  thirty 
minutes,  or  till  it  becomes  a thick  jelly.  There  is 
great  danger  of  boiling  it  too  much.  The  currant  s 
should  be  put  into  the  kettle,  and  placed  over  the 
fire  until  the  juice  is  sufficiently  out  of  the  berry  to 
strain.  Put  in  tumblers,  and  paste  white  paper 
over  them,  with  the  name  of  each  written  on  them. 

Currant  Jelly.  Mrs.  S.fs. — Put  your  currants  into 
a stone  pot,  and  set  them  into  a pot  of  water  over 
the  fire.  Having  strained  the  juice  of  these  heated 
currants  through  a cloth,  measure  it,  and  to  each 
pint,  allow  a pound  of  sugar.  Put  your  sugar  into 
the  oven  in  a shallow  pan,  and  let  it  heat  through, 
but  be  careful  not  to  scorch  it.  Have  your  currant 
juice  hot,  and  put  in  the  sugar  hot,  and  let  both 
boil  together  four  minutes.  This  is  very  nice,  if 
carefully  made. 

Currant  Jelly.  Ped. — Wash  your  currants,  and 
drain  them ; mash  them  with  the  back  of  a spoon ; 
put  them  in  a jelly-bag,  and  squeeze  it  till  all  the 
juice  is  pressed  out;  to  every  pint  of  juice,  allow 
a pound  of  loaf  sugar;  put  the  juice  and  the  sugar 


36 


Jellies,  Marmalades,  &c. 


into  a kettle,  and  boil  them  twenty  minutes,  skim- 
ming all  the  while ; pour  it  warm  in  your  glasses, 
and  when  cold,  tie  it  up  with  brandy  paper.  Jel- 
lies should  never  be  allowed  to  get  cold  in  the 
kettle ; if  boiled  too  long,  they  will  loose  their  fla- 
vor, and  become  of  a dark  color.  Strawberry, 
raspberry,  blackberry,  and  grape  jelly,  may  be 
made  in  the  same  manner,  and  with  the  same  pro- 
portion of  loaf  sugar. 

Oianberry  Jelly.— Make  a strong  isinglass  jelly ; 
when  cold,  mix  with  it  a double  portion  of  cran- 
berry juice,  pressed  and  strained;  sweeten  and  boil 
it  up ; make  it  into  the  desired  shape  by  straining 
in  the  proper  vessel ; use  good  white  sugar,  or  the 
jelly  will  not  be  clear. 

. Peach  Marmalade.— Take  fine,  juicy,  free-stone 
peaches.  Pare  them ; cut  them  in  half ; remove  the 
stones;  cut  up  the  peaches,  and  allow  for  each 
pound,  a pound  of  sugar.  Lay  the  peaches  with 
the  sugar  among  them,  in  a large  pan,  and  let  them 
remain  for  three  or  four  hours.  Boil  the  peaches 
and  sugar  together  in  a porcelain  kettle,  skimming 
and  stirring  well.  When  it  becomes  a thick, 
smooth  mass,  it  is  finished.  Put  it  in  glass  jars, 
and  cover  it  when  cool. 

Apple  Butter. — Take  1 bushel  of  sweet  apples; 
peel  and  quarter  them ; remove  the  core  and  pips ; 


Jellies,  Marmalades,  &c.  37 

put  them  into  a stew-pan,  along  with  2 gallons  of 
cider,  over  a gentle  fire,  or  a gas-burner  would  be 
preferable,  as  it  is  an  operation  which  requires 
time.  When  boiling,  and  the  apples  begin  to  be 
soft,  you  can  add  2 ounces  of  each,  allspice  and 
cloves,  besides  the  juice  of  3 lemons.  Cover  up 
tight  with  oiled  paper,  and  put  in  a cool  place. 

Quince  Marmalade. — Mrs.  H.’s. — Pare  and  re- 
move all  blemishes;  allow  1 pound  of  sugar  to  each 
pound  of  fruit;  boil  the  quinces  in  as  little  water  as 
possible,  until  it  will  mash  easily.  Pour  off  the  wa- 
ter; mash  the  fruit  with  a spoon ; put  in  the  sugar, 
and  boil  half  an  hour,  stirring  often.  They  must 
be  boiled  longer  than  peaches.  All  marmalade 
must  be  cooked  until  it  mashes  into  a thick,  smooth 
mass. 

Quince  Marmalade.  Mrs.  G.’s. — Grate  your  quin- 
ces after  they  have  been  pared,  cored,  and  halved ; 
to  1 pound  of  fruit,  use  three-quarters  of  a pound 
of  sugar;  boil  together  half  an  hour.  This  is  very 
ight  colored,  and  if  put  in  moulds  or  bowls,  turns 
out  well. 

Watermelon  Butter.  Mrs.  W.’s. — Split  the  wa- 
termelons  open  with  a spoon ; scrape  out  the  pulp 
into  a colander,  and  strain  the  water  into  vessels ; 
boil  it  down  to  syrup ; then  put  in  apples  or  peaches; 

4 


38 


Jellies,  Marmalades,  &c. 


and  cook  like  making  apple-butter  or  any  kind  of 
preserves;  or  you  can  boil  the  syrup  down  to  mo- 
lasses, which  will  be  found  to  be  as  fine  as  the  best 
sugar-house  molasses. 

Apple  Jelly.  Mrs.  B.’s. — Take  apples  of  the  best 
quality  and  good  flavor,  (not  sweet) ; cut  them  in 
quarters  or  slices,  and  stew  them  till  soft;  then 
strain  out  the  juice,  being  very  careful  not  to  let 
any  of  the  pulp  go  through  the  strainer.  Boil  it 
to  the  consistency  of  molasses ; then  weigh  it,  and 
add  as  many  pounds  of  crushed  sugar,  stirring  it 
constantly  till  the  sugar  is  dissolved.  Add  one 
ounce  of  extract  of  lemon  to  every  twenty  pounds 
of  jelly,  and  when  cold,  set  it  away  in  close  jars. 
It  will  keep  good  for  years.  Those  who  have  not 
made  jelly  in  this  way,  will  do  well  to  try  it;  they 
will  find  it  superior  to  currant  jelly. 

Apple  Jelly.  Mrs.  H.’s. — Pare  tart  apples,  and 
cut  them  into  halves,  to  be  sure  they  are  perfectly 
good;  put  them  in  your  kettle  with  a little  water; 
let  boil  till  perfectly  soft;  then  take  off  and  strain; 
put  1 pound  of  sugar  to  every  quart  of  juice;  let 
boil  until  you  have  a fine,  clear  jelly;  strain  it  into 
moulds ; add,  if  you  choose,  before  taking  off,  an 
ounce  of  cinnamon;  it  makes  a rich,  delicious, 


Jellies,  Marmalades,  &c.  39 

Grape  Marmalade.  Mrs.  McC.’s—  Boil  soft  ,and 
strain  the  grapes  through  a sieve ; one  pound  of 
sugar,  to  every  pound  of  the  pulp.  Simmer  to- 
gether half  an  hour,  stirring  often.  The  common 
wild  grape  is  the  best  for  this. 

Apple  Marmalade— Weigh  equal  quantities  of 
brown  sugar  and  good  sour  apples ; pare,  core,  and 
chop  them  fine ; then  make  a good  clear  syrup  of 
the  sugar,  and  add  the  apples ; the  grated  rind  of 
a lemon,  and  a small  piece  or  two  of  white  ginger. 
Boil  it  until  the  apples  look  clear  and  yellow ; this 
resembles  foreign  sweetmeats.  On  no  account  omit 
the  ginger.  This  will,  if  done  right,  keep  for 
years.  Cover  as  tightly  as  possible  with  oiled  pa- 
per. 

Currant  Marmalade.  White  or  Red. — Pick  the 
fruit  very  nicely,  and  allow  an  equal  quantity  of 
finely-pounded  loaf  sugar ; put  a layer  of  each,  al- 
ternately, into  a preserving-pan,  and  boil  for  ten  mi- 
nutes ; or  they  may  be  boiled  the  same  length  of 
time  in  sugar  previously  clarified,  and  boiled  like 
candy. 

Raspberry  Marmalade.  Mrs.  H.’s.— Take  three 
pounds  of  raspberries ; 3 pounds  of  sugar,  and  1 
pint  of  currant  juice;  mash  them  well  together^ 
and  let  them  boil  until  they  become  as  stiff  as  jelly. 
In  this  way,  the  marmalade  is  greatly  superior  to 


40 


Jellies,  Marmalades,  &c. 


that  which  is  made  by  putting  the  sugar  in  first. 
Be  careful  not  to  burn  them. 

Apricot  Jolly. — Pare  the  fruit,  thin  and  stone  it ; 
weigh  an  equal  quantity  of  sugar  in  fine  powder,  and 
strew  over  it.  Stand  one  day;  then  boil  very 
gently  till  they  are  clear ; move  them  into  a bowl, 
and  pour  the  liquor  over.  The  next  day,  pour  the 
liquor  to  a quart  of  codling-liquor;  let  it  boil 
quickly  till  it  will  jelly;  put  the  fruit  into  it,  and 
boil;  skim  well,  and  put  into  small  pots. 

Raspberry  Marmalade.  Mrs . P.’s— Weigh  equal 
proportions  of  white  sugar  and  raspberries;  put 
the  fruit  into  a preserving-kettle;  mash  it  well 
with  a spoon,  and  let  boil  ten  minutes ; add  the  su- 
gar, and  stir  it  well  with  the  fruit.  When  it  boils, 
skim  it,  and  let  it  boil  for  fifteen  minutes,  when 
you  will  have  a nice  marmalade  that  will  keep  for 
a long  time. 

Rhubarb  Jelly. — Mrs.  S.’s. — Boil  the  rhubarb 
until  soft,  and  then  press  out  the  juice;  take  one 
pound  of  sugar,  to  each  pint  of  juice,  and  simmer 
slowly  down  to  a thick  jelly;  if  any  scum  arises, 
skim  it  off;  the  addition  of  a little  lemon  juice,  or 
a slice  or  two  adds  greatly  to  the  flavor. 

Blackberry  Marmalade— Have  your  fruit  right 
dry ; allow  1 pound  of  good  brown  sugar,  for  each 


Jellies,  Marmalades,  &c. 


41 


pound  of  berries ; boil  the  whole  together  gently 
for  an  hour,  or  till  the  blackberries  are  soft,  stir- 
ring and  mashing  them  well.  Preserve  it  like  any 
other  marmalade,  and  it  will  be  found  very  useful, 
particularly  for  children — regulating  their  bowels 
and  enabling  you  to  dispense  with  cathartics. 

Jellies  without  Boiling. — Pick  your  fruit  care- 
fully; squeeze  the  juice  through  a cloth  or  sieve; 
to  every  pint  of  juice,  allow  a pound  of  refined  su- 
gar; dry  the  sugar  in  an  oven,  but  do  not  let  it 
get  too  hot,  or  else  it  will  melt ; stir  the  sugar  after 
drying  small  quantities  at  a time,  into  the  juice. 
It  must  be  stirred  constantly  while  the  sugar  is 
being  added;  when  it  is  all  dissolved,  the  jelly  is 
ready  for  potting.  If  it  is  well  made,  it  will  keep 
good  for  years,  and  is  superior  in  color  and  flavor 
to  other  boiled  jellies. 

Orange  Marmalade. — Quarter  some  large,  ripe 
oranges;  remove  the  rind,  seeds,  and  filaments, 
taking  care  to  save  the  juice.  Put  the  pulp  and 
juice  into  a porcelain  kettle,  and  mix  with  it  an 
equal  quantity  of  strained  honey,  adding  sufficient 
powdered  sugar  to  make  it  sweet,  as  the  honey  will 
not  sweeten  it  enough.  Boil  and  skim  it  till  very 
thick,  smooth  and  clear.  When  cold,  put  it  in 
glass  jars. 

4* 


42 


Jellies,  Marmalades,  &c. 


Cherry  Marmalade. — Stem  and  stone  your  cher- 
ries, saving  as  much  of  the  juice  as  possible;  allow 
one  pound  of  sugar,  to  one  pint  of  cherries.  Boil 
the  fruit  and  sugar  together  uncovered,  for  an  hour, 
skimming  and  stirring  well.  When  cool,  put  in 
pots  and  cover  tight. 

Tomato  Butter.  Mrs.  S.'s. — To  7 pounds  of  nice 
tomatoes,  skinned,  add  7 pounds  of  tart  apples ; 4 
pounds  good  brown  sugar;  boil  all  four  hours, 
slowly  stirring  all  the  time,  and  just  before  it  is 
entirely  done,  add  cinnamon,  ginger,  allspice  and 
cloves,  to  suit  your  taste ; it  is  very  nice  and  cheap, 
indeed,  for  common  use. 

Gooseberry  Jelly. — Dissolve,  and  boil  loaf  or 
crushed  sugar  in  about  half  its  weight  of  water; 
let  it  cool,  and  add  an  equal  weight  of  gooseberry 
juice;  then  boil  for  a few  moments,  or  till  it  jellies. 
It  is  very  nice. 

Strawberry  Marmalade— Gather  the  scarlet 
strawberries  when  perfectly  ripe;  bruise  them  well, 
and  add  the  juice  of  other  strawberries;  take  an 
equal  weight  of  lump  sugar,  pound  and  sift  it,  stir 
it  thoroughly  into  the  fruit,  and  set  on  a slow  fire ; 
boil  it  twenty  minutes,  taking  off  the  scum  as  it 
rises;  pour  into  glasses,  or  jars,  and  when  cold,  tie 
them  down. 


Jellies,  Marmalades,  &c.  43 

Apricot  Marmalade —Stone  and  peel  the  apri- 
cots ; take  equal  weight  of  sugar  and  fruit ; clarify 
and  boil  the  sugar  to  a thin  syrup;  put  in  the 
apricots,  and  let  boil  very  quick,  till  they  are  well 
broken  and  soft.  A little  white  currant  jelly 
boiled  with  them,  is  an  improvement.  Take  the 
kettle  off,  and  when  nearly  cool,  put  into  jars,  and 
tie  it  down,  and  set  in  a cool  place. 

Tomato  Marmalade. — To  two  pounds  tomatoes, 
allow  two  pounds  sugar,  and  the  juice  and  grated 
rind  of  one  lemon.  Scald  the  tomatoes,  take  off 
the  skins,  mix  the  sugar  with  them,  and  boil  them 
slowly  for  an  hour,  skimming  and  stirring;  add 
the  juice  and  grated  rind  of  the  lemon,  and  boil 
another  half  hour,  or  till  it  is  a thick,  smooth 
mass. 

Pear  Marmalade.  Mrs  P.'s. — Weigh  your  fruit, 
and  take  half  the  quantity  of  sugar ; boil  them  first 
to  a pulp  (after  paring  and  coring),  with  a little 
water ; then  add  your  sugar,  and  boil  again  until 
they  are  smooth ; a few  drops  of  essence  of  cloves 
may  be  added ; when  cold,  use  if  you  choose. 

Green  Gage  Marmalade. — Put  your  gages 
through  a coarse  hair  sieve ; put  the  pulp  into  a 
preserving-kettle,  along  with  an  equal  weight  white 
sugar.  Boil  it  to  a proper  thickness,  and  put  it 
into  pots  for  future  use. 


44 


Canning  Fkuits,  &c. 


CANNING-  FETJITS,  &c. 

Canning  Fruits  and  Vegetables  is  a mystery  to 
many,  though  it  is  very  simple,  and  but  two  things 
are  necessary — that  the  fruit  should  be  thoroughly 
hot  when  placed  in  the  cans,  and  that  these  should 
be  perfectly  sealed . There  are  various  jars  and 
cans  that  are  self-sealing  to  be  obtained,  and  where 
it  is  certain  that  they  are  what  they  profess  to  be, 
it  is  easiest  to  use  them;  but  not  much  should  be 
risked  upon  an  uncertainty.  With  an  air-tight 
can,  the  simple  agent  in  the  work,  is  heat;  and  it 
is  only  necessary  to  know  what  degree  of  heat  is 
required,  and  how  to  apply  it.  The  common  mode 
is  to  fill  the  can  with  the  fruit,  and  set  it  in  a ves- 
sel of  boiling  water,  letting  it  remain  until  thor- 
oughly heated  through.  This  mode  is  objectiona- 
ble, as  too  much  time  is  required,  and  the  shrink- 
age of  the  fruit,  leaves  the  can  about  two- thirds 
full.  It  is  desirable,  that  fruit  and  vegetables  to 
be  preserved  should  be  fresh — that  the  process  of 
decay  and  fermentation  should  not  have  com- 
menced in  them.  Fruits  are  kept  in  better  condi- 
tion by  adding  as  much  sugar  as  is  required  to 
sweeten  them  for  the  table.  Never  use  water,  un- 
less it  is  but  a little  to  make  a syrup  of  the  sugar. 
It  renders  them  tasteless  and  insipid.  The  most 


Canning  Fkuivs,  &c. 


45 


convenient,  certain,  and  expeditious  method,  is  to 
prepare  the  fruit,  either  with  or  without  sugar; 
add  a small  quantity  of  water  to  prevent  scorch- 
ing; let  it  remain  over  the  fire  until  it  comes  to 
the  boiling-point;  then  fill  the  can  and  seal  it  up 
immediately. 

Tin  cans  should  be  opened  by  placing  live  coals 
upon  the  solder;  it  will  melt  in  a few  moments. 
A warm  flat-iron  may  be  used  to  soften  the  cement 
of  the  self-sealing  cans. 

Canning  Peaches. — Pare  and  stone  4 pounds  of 
peaches,  and  1 pound  of  sugar ; pack  the  fruit  in 
cans,  and  sugar  them  over  night ; in  the  morning, 
set  them  in  a kettle  of  water,  and  let  come  to  a 
boil,  then  make  air-tight.  This  is  an  excellent  re- 
ceipt. 

Canning  Peaches.  Mrs.  R.’s  — The  sugar  is  put 
into  a preserving-kettle,  with  a pint  of  water  to 
every  pound  of  sugar,  heated,  and  the  surface 
skimmed.  Into  this  syrup,  the  peaches,  after 
being  pared,  are  placed  and  boiled  ten  minutes. 
The  peaches  are  then  put  into  the  cans,  and  the 
syrup,  while  hot,  and  immediately  sealed  up. 
Peaches,  if  done  right,  are  as  delicious  as  when 
fresh  from  the  trees. 

Canning  Strawberries —Sugar  the  strawberries, 
asing  about  half  a pound  to  a pound  of  berries, 


46 


Canning  Fruits,  &c. 


and  let  them  stand  ten  minutes;  then  put  them 
into  a wide,  shallow,  preserving-pan,  so  that  they 
may  become  heated  as  quickly  as  possible,  and  let 
them  boil  three  or  four  minutes.  Fill  the  cans  or 
jars,  and  seal  while  hot.  Let  the  vessels  used,  be 
scalded  immediately  before  the  fruit  is  put  in,  so 
as  to  heat  them  thoroughly. 

Strawberries  cannot  be  put  up  to  retain  that 
delicate  flavor,  but  are  better  when  preserved. 

Canning  Pears. — Remove  the  skin ; place  them 
in  a vessel  with  a tightly-fitting  cover;  use  as  much 
water  as  would  be  required  to  make  a syrup  for 
the  quantity  to  be  put  up ; but  do  not  put  in  the 
sugar.  Now  set  the  vessel  on  the  fire,  and  allow 
to  remain  until  the  pears  are  softened  throughout, 
which  may  be  ascertained  by  passing  a fork 
through  them.  Then  add  as  much  sugar  as  is 
thought  sufficient ; stew  for  five  minutes,  and  seal 
up  hot.  It  is,  of  course,  unnecessary  that  the  pears 
should  be  covered  with  water,  as  the  steam,  if  the 
vessel  is  tightly  covered,  will  cook  those  not  im- 
mersed. 

Canning  Pine-Apples.  Mrs.  P.’s—  Pare  and  slice 
your  pine-apples  in  thin  slices ; pack  your  fruit  in 
glass  jars  as  closely  as  possible;  then  sprinkle  over 
the  pine-apples,  about  2 tablespoonsful  of  sugar 
to  each  quart  of  fruit ; add  a little  water  to  make 


Canning  Fruits,  &c. 


47 


syrup,  and  set  in  water-bath  until  heated,  to  ex- 
tract the  air ; then  seal  air-tight,  and  set  away  in 
a cool  place.  This,  if  well  done,  will  keep  for  a 
year,  and  be  very  nice. 

..  Canning  Blackberries —Pat  the  berries  in  a 
bottle,  then  cork  and  seal  it,  place  the  bottle  in  a 
kettle  of  cold  water,  and  gradually  let  it  boil.  As 
soon  as  it  boils,  take  it  off  and  let  it  cool ; then 
take  the  bottles  out,  and  put  them  away  for  winter 
use. 

Gooseberries,  plums,  and  currants  may  be  pre- 
served in  the  same  manner. 

Canning  Green  Currants —They  may  be  kept 
fresh  for  a year  or  more,  if  they  are  gathered  when 
green,  separated  from  the  stems;  put  into  dry, 
clean  bottles,  and  cork  very  carefully,  so  as  to  ex- 
clude the  air.  They  should  be  kept  in  a cool  place 
in  the  cellar,  and  will  be  found  very  nice  in  the 
winter  for  pies. 


Canning  Tomatoes.  Mrs.  P.’s. — Take  the  toma- 
toes in  any  desirable  quantity ; peel,  place  them 
in  a suitable  vessel  over  the  fire,  and  boil  until 
have  reduced  them  almost  dry ; and  while  hoj^ja^it  v 
in  cans  or  jars  scalded,  and  seal  air-tight.  T^ey 
require  very  little  cooking  when  used,  if  done  in 
this  way. 


48 


Canning  Fruits,  &c. 


Canning  Tomatoes. — Take  the  tomatoes  in  any 
desirable  quantity ; peel,  place  them  in  a suitable 
vessel  over  the  fire,  and,  after  they  have  commenced 
boiling,  let  them  boil  fifteen  minutes.  Have  ready 
the  cans  or  jars;  fill  with  tomatoes,  and  seal  up 
while  boiling  hot.  If  the  queensware  jar  is  used, 
and  in  all  cases,  indeed,  where  it  is  used,  it  should 
be  thoroughly  heated  by  rinsing  with  boiling  wa- 
ter before  the  tomatoes  are  put  into  it. 

Canning  Peas  and  Beans —Obtain  in  the  fresh- 
est possible  state;  if  they  can  be  taken  at  once 
from  the  garden  to  the  kitchen,  so  much  the  better. 
Unless  they  can  be  attended  to  immediately,  let 
them  be  thrown  into  ice-water  and  kept  their  until 
everything  is  ready.  In  the  case  of  peas,  let  them 
be  thrown  into  ice-water  as  they  are  removed  from 
the  pods.  Fill,  or  partly  fill,  with  the  vegetable, 
a vessel  with  a closely-fitting  cover;  set  this  vessel 
into  a boiler  containing  strong  brine  enough  to 
reach  two-thirds  of  the  way  up  to  the  cover.  Boil 
about  four  hours,  rather  more  than  less,  adding 
water  to  the  brine  as  it  evaporates,  to  keep  up  the 
original  quantity.  When  ready  for  sealing,  heat 
the  cans  or  jars  to  be  filled,  by  rinsing  them  with 
boiling  water ; fill  with  the  hot  vegetable,  and  seal 
without  loss  of  time. 


Miscellaneous. 


49 


Canned  Green  Corn. — Corn  may  be  treated  in 
the  same  manner  as  peas  and  beans;  or  it  may  be 
boiled  upon  the  cob.  If  the  latter  is  done,  the 
grains  should  be  split  down  the  centre,  and  the  corn 
scraped  off  the  cob,  leaving  the  husk  behind ; it 
should  then  be  heated,  as  directed  for  the  peas, 
and  sealed  as  soon  as  it  is  heated  up  to  the  desired 
temperature. 

The  long  exposure  of  corn,  peas,  and  beans  to 
heat,  seems  to  be  necessary,  so  far  as  is  now  known, 
to  destroy  the  great  tendency  of  these  vegetables 
to  putrefaction,  even  after  they  are  sealed  up  in 
air-tight  vessels. 


MISCELLANEOUS. 

Crystalized  Fruits.  Mrs.  H.  B.’s. — May  be  made, 
when  preserved,  by  first  draining  them  thoroughly 
from  the  syrup ; cover  them  with  clarified  sugar ; 
boil  five  minutes ; drain  them  on  sieves  placed  so 
that  they  cannot  touch  each  other;  dust  them  over 
with  coarsely-powdered  sugar;  when  dry  on  one 
side,  then  powder  the  other ; repeat  this,  and  when 
quite  dry,  put  them  away  in  boxes. 

Blackberry  Cordial.  Mrs . d:s  — To  1 gallon  of 
blackberry  juice,  put  21  pounds  of  white  sugar; 

5 D 


50 


Miscellaneous. 


1 ounce  of  cinnamon;  1 ounce  of  nutmeg;  1 ounce 
of  cloves,  and  2 ounces  of  allspice.  Let  it  boil  a 
few  minutes,  and  when  cool,  add  one  quart  of 
brandy. 

Blackberry  Cordial.  Mr.  S.  D . A.’s— To  1 gal- 
lon of  blackberry  juice,  add  4 pounds  white  sugar; 
boil  and  skim  off;  then  add  1 ounce  of  cloves;  1 
ounce  of  cinnamon;  10  grated  nutmegs,  and  boil 
down  till  quite  rich ; then  let  it  cool  and  settle ; 
afterward  drain  off,  and  add  one  pint  of  good 
brandy  or  whiskey. 

Gooseberry  V7ine. — Take  a quantity  of  ripe, 
(white  or  yellow)  gooseberries ; bruise  them,  with 
a pestle,  in  a tub,  and  to  every  8 pounds  of  fruit, 
add  1 gallon  of  cold  water ; stir,  and  let  them  stand 
twenty-four  hours;  then  strain  the  mash  through 
a fine  sieve  (a  fine  cloth  strainer  will  answer).  To 
every  gallon  of  juice,  add  4 pounds  of  white,  crushed 
or  loaf  sugar.  When  all  is  dissolved,  stir  it  well, 
and  when  settled,  put  it  into  a cask  with  a little 
white  brandy — 1 quart  to  every  5 gallons  of 
juice;  add  one-quarter  of  an  ounce  of  isinglass. 
Set  the  cask  in  a cool  place,  leaving  out  the  bung 
until  the  fermentation  has  nearly  ceased.  Then 
draw  off  into  bottles  and  cork  tight. 

Tomato  Vinegar. — Take  one  bushel  of  ripe  to- 
matoes, wash  them  in  an  open  tub,  and  add  one 


Miscellaneous. 


51 


quart  of  molasses  that  weighs  eleven  pounds  to  the 
gallon,  and  thoroughly  mix  the  whole  together,  in 
which  condition  let  the  tub  stand  several  days,  not 
neglecting  to  frequently  stir  the  mixture  in  it. 
When  a decided  vinegar  odor  is  given  off,  the 
juice  should  be  strained  from  the  pomace  and  put 
into  casks,  and  let  stand  until  the  process  is  com- 
pleted. Vinegar  thus  made  is  equal  to  the  best, 
and  to  succeed  in  its  manufacture  only  requires 
faithfully  following  out  these  directions. 

Watermelon  Molasses. — This  excellent  article  is 
made  from  the  cores  of  ripe,  sweet  watermelons. 
Take  only  the  soft  part  of  the  melon,  such  as  can 
be  scraped  out  by  hand  or  spoon ; rub  it  through 
a wire  sieve,  then  strain  out  the  juice  through  a 
cloth  strainer;  boil  down  the  juice  in  a kettle,  just 
as  you  would  boil  cider  or  maple  sugar  water; 
be  very  careful  not  to  scorch  it  when  nearly  done. 
For  a preserving  syrup  for  fruits,  this  is  super- 
excellent,  and  capital  for  many  other  uses — very 
good  for  table  use. 

To  Keep  Cider  Sweet.— To  every  30  gallons  of 
cider,  add  half  a pound  of  unground  mustard-seed, 
either  enclosed  in  a small  cloth  bag  or  loose. 

Another. — To  every  40  gallons  of  cider,  add  1 
pound  of  sulphite  of  lime. 


52 


Miscellaneous. 


Add,  in  both  cases,  the  articles  when  the  cider 
is  worked  to  suit  the  taste. 

CrOOSGbeny  Fool. — Stew,  mash,  and  make  very 
sweet  with  brown  sugar,  some  gooseberries ; have 
ready  a nice  boiled  custard.  When  both  are  cold, 
mix  together,  and  flavor  to  taste. 

Rhubarb  Wine. — Mix  equal  quantities  of  water, 
and  the  juice  of  the  stalks,  and  to  each  gallon,  add 
4 pounds  of  fair  quality  of  brown  sugar.  Fill  the 
barrel  or  cask  full,  and  refine  with  isinglass.  Al- 
low it  to  remain  in  the  barrels  till  spring,  and  then 
bottle.  By  adding  or  diminishing  the  quantity  of 
sugar,  it  will  vary  the  strength  of  the  wine.  The 
juice,  without  water,  makes  a very  strong  wine,  by 
adding  one-half  pound  more  sugar  to  the  gallon. 

Covering  for  Preserves —White  paper,  cut  to  a 
suitable  size,  dipped  in  brandy,  and  put  over  the 
preserves  when  cold,  and  then  a double  paper  tied 
over  the  top.  All  preserves  should  stand  a night 
before  they  are  covered.  Instead  of  brandy,  the 
white  of  eggs  may  be  used  to  glaze  the  pape?  cover- 
ing ; the  paper  may  be  pasted  round  the  edge  of 
the  pot,  instead  of  tied — it  will  exclude  the  air 
better ; and  may  be  pasted  and  tied  too. 

Tomato  Catsup. — To  one-half  bushel  of  skinned 
tomatoes,  add  1 quart  of  good  vinegar;  1 pound  of 


Miscellaneous. 


53 


salt;  one-quarter  pound  black  pepper;  2 ounces 
cayenne  pepper ; one-quarter  pound  of  allspice ; 6 
onions ; 1 ounce  cloves,  and  2 pounds  brown  sugar. 
Boil  this  mass  for  3 hours,  constantly  stirring  it,  to 
keep  it  from  burning.  When  cool,  strain  it  through 
a fine  sieve  or  coarse  cloth,  and  bottle  it  for  use. 
Many  persons  omit  the  vinegar. 

Tomato  Catsup.  Uncooked. — To  1 peck  tomatoes, 
skin,  seed,  and  draw  the  juice  out,  add  1 doz.  red 
peppers,  seeded  and  chopped  separate;  2 table- 
spoonsful  each,  white  mustard-seed,  ground  all- 
spice, cloves  and  salt.  Boil  one-half  gallon  cider 
vinegar,  pour  over  while  hot,  and  when  cold,  bottle 
up;  tomatoes  and  peppers  must  be  chopped  very  fine. 


Cucumber  Sauce.  Mrs.  J.’s. — Slice  the  cucum- 
bers, but  not  too  thin ; salt  them,  and  let  drain  un- 
der a pressure,  so  that  they  are  free  from  the  green 
water;  season  to  your  taste,  and  pour  over  them 
the  best  cider  vinegar. 


Peach  Leather.  Mrs.  McC.’s. — Stew  peaches  as 
if  for  pies ; take  out  the  stones,  and  make  into  a 
pulp;  spread  out  thin  on  a planed  board  expose^  " 
to  the  sun;  in  a few  days,  it  will  be  dry  ena^gh^. 
to  roll  up  and  put  away.  It  can  be  used  fof pies. 

Blackberry  Brandy— To  1 quart  of 
blackberry  juice,  add  1 pound  white  sug; 

5* 


54 


Miscellanjgous. 


spoonful  powdered  allspice;  ditto  ground  cloves. 
Boil  a few  minutes,  then  remove  from  the  fire,  and 
add  one-half  pint  fourth-proof  brandy  or  good  Mo- 
il ongahela  whiskey.  Bottle  and  cork  close.  It  is 
fit  for  immediate  use.  On  no  account  use  inferior 
brandy. 

Currant  Shrub, — Boil  currant  juice  and  sugar, 
in  proportion  of  one  pound  sugar,  to  one  pint  j uice, 
five  minutes.  Stir  it  constantly  while  cooling; 
when  cold,  bottle  it.  Use  like  raspberry  shrub 
one  spoonful  or  two  to  a tumbler  of  water, 

Raspberry  Vinegar. — To  2 quarts  of  raspberries, 
add  1 pint  cider  vinegar ; let  them  be  together  two 
or  three  days.  Mash  them  up,  and  strain  through 
a bag ; do  not  squeeze  the  fruit,  or  it  will  make  it 
ferment.  To  every  pint,  allow  1 pound  of  sugar; 
boil  it  twenty  minutes  and  skim.  Bottle  it  when 
cold. 

To  Make  Cement  for  Jars.  Common. — Take  one- 
third  bees’-wax  and  two-thirds  rosin,  according  to 
the  quantity  of  cement  required.  Pound  the  rosin 
fine,  and  put  it  with  the  wax  to  melt  in  any  old 
vessel  fit  for  the  purpose.  When  it  is  melted,  take 
it  off  the  fire,  and  add  powdered  brick-dust,  till  it 
is  as  thick  as  melted  sealing-wax.  Then  dip  the 
bottle  necks  into  the  cement,  and  in  a few  minutes, 
the  mixture  will  be  dry. 


Miscellaneous. 


55 


Candy  Ginger. — Put  1 ounce  of  race  ginger, 
grated  fine;  1 pound  of  loaf  or  crushed  sugar, 
rolled  fine,  into  a kettle,  with  as  much  water  as 
will  dissolve  the  sugar.  Stir  them  well  together 
over  a slow  fire,  till  the  sugar  begins  to  boil ; then 
stir  in  another  pound  of  sugar;  keep  stirring  it 
until  it  grows  thick;  then  take  it  off  the  fire,  and 
drop  it  in  cakes  upon  earthen  dishes ; set  them  in 
a warm  place  to  dry ; when  it  becomes  hard,  brit- 
tle, and  looks  white,  it  is  done. 

To  Take  Out  Fruit  Stains— Tie  up  cream  tar- 
tar in  the  spotted  places,  and  put  the  garment  into 
cold  water,  and  boil  it.  If  the  stains  are  much 
spread,  stir  cream  tartar  in  this  wTater.  If  still 
visible,  boil  the  garment  in  a mixture  of  super  car- 
bonate of  soda,  a tablespoonful  to  a pail  of  water. 

Sealing-Wax  for  Fruit  Cans —Take  rosin,  eight 
ounces;  gum  shellac,  two  ounces;  bees’-wax,  one- 
half  ounce,  and  if  you  desire  it  colored,  English 
Vermillion,  one  and  a half  ounce.  Melt  the  rosin, 
and  stir  in  the  vermillion,  if  used.  Then  add  the 
shellac  slowly,  and  afterwards  the  bees'- wax.  This 
will  make  quite  a quantity,  and  needs  only  to  be 
melted  to  be  ready  at  any  time. 

Spiced  Citron.  Mrs.  W.’s.—' To  7 pounds  of  cit- 
ron, take  3 pounds  of  sugar  and  1 pint  of  vinegar; 


56 


Miscellaneous. 


whole  allspice  and  cinnamon,  according  to  taste ; 
break  the  cinnamon  amongst  it,  put  the  allspice  in 
a little  bag.  Boil  the  vinegar  and  sugar  three 
different  times,  pouring  it  over  the  citron  each 
time ; the  last  time,  cook  the  citron  with  it ; put  in 
stone  jars. 

Peach  Kernel  Flavor. — Crack  the  stones,  take 
out  the  kernel,  and  scald  it  to  take  off  the  skin ; 
blanch  and  put  them  into  wine  for  use. 

To  Dry  Pumpkin, — Cut  it  round  horizontally  in 
tolerably  thin  slices,  peel  them  and  hang  them  on 
a line  in  a warm  room.  When  perfectly  dry,  put 
them  away  for  use.  When  you  wish  to  use  it,  put 
it  to  soak  over  night ; next  day,  pour  off  the  wa- 
ter, put  on  fresh  water,  stew  and  use  it  as  usual. 
It  will  keep  good  all  the  year  round.  Excellent 
for  pies  in  winter. 

To  Clarify  Sugar. — Take  a little  gum  arabic, 
and  same  proportion  of  isinglass  dissolved  in  hot 
water;  pour  it,  when  dissolved,  into  your  sugar, 
while  boiling,  and  all  the  sediment  will  rise  to  the 
top,  which  you  must  skim  off.  Loaf  sugar  may  be 
cleansed  with  the  whites  of  eggs,  isinglass,  or  gum 
arabic.  A very  little  of  either  will  suffice. 

Grape  Syrup. — Fill  a stone  pot  with  ripe  grapes; 
pour  in  molasses  enough  to  cover  them ; set  in  a 


Miscellaneous. 


57 


cool  place  in  a pan,  as  in  working,  it  may  run 
over.  It  will  be  ready  for  use  in  a month.  It  is 
very  nice  through  the  winter  for  pies. 

Spiced  Cantaloupe.  Mrs,  J.’s. — Take  6 pounds  of 
sugar,  to  every  twelve  pounds  of  cantaloupes ; one- 
half  ounce  cloves;  one-qnarter  ounce  each,  mace 
and  allspice.  Boil  the  fruit  tender  in  water ; drain 
off  the  water ; then  boil  1 quart  of  vinegar,  adding 
the  sugar  and  spice,  and  while  hot,  pour  over  them, 
and  set  away  in  a cool  place. 

Apple  Ginger, — Pare  and  cut  12  pounds  of  ap- 
ples in  round  pieces;  add  to  them  8 pounds  of  fine- 
sifted  white  sugar,  and  4 ounces  of  powdered  gin- 
ger; let  them  stand  forty-eight  hours ; then  put  all 
into  a kettle,  and  boil  till  the  apples  look  clear ; 
pot  them,  and  tie  a bladder  over  the  top  of  the 
pots.  It  is  better  if  the  ginger  is  only  bruised  and 
put  into  a muslin  bag,  to  be  afterwards  taken  out ; 
you  must  use  nearly  double  the  quantity  of  ginger, 
if  put  in  a bag. 

Currant  Wins. — Currants,  four  pounds;  sugar, 
three  pounds ; water,  one  gallon.  Place  the  cur- 
rants, stems  and  all,  in  a tub,  and  mash  them  well ; 
add  the  water ; set  in  a cool  place,  and  stir  occa- 
sionally ; continue  the  stirring  for  three  days ; then 
drain  the  liquor  through  a sieve,  squeeze  the  pulp 
in  a cloth,  add  the  sugar  (stirring  until  it  is  all 


58 


Miscellaneous. 


dissolved,  and  put  into  a barrel  or  cask,  which 
should  stand  in  a dry,  cool  cellar.  When  fermenta- 
tion is  over,  bung  up  tight  and  leave  all  winter. 
Rack  off  in  spring  before  second  fermentation,  and 
bottle  after  second  fermentation. 

To  Dry  Poaches. — Take  ripe,  but  not  soft k 
peaches,  pare,  stone,  and  cut  them  in  halves  or 
quarters ; spread  them  on  flat  dishes  or  boards,  and 
set  where  the  sun  will  shine  upon  them ; take  in 
at  dusk  or  sun-set;  they  should  not  be  put  out  in 
the  wet  or  damp.  They  can  be  dried  very  nicely 
in  an  oven,  after  the  baking  is  done ; they  must  be 
turned  while  drying.  Keep  them  in  bags  tied 
closely,  and  hung  up. 

To  Dry  Apples. — Apples  can  be  dried  in  the 
same  manner ; pare  off  the  skin,  and  take  out  the 
core ; do  not  let  them  dry  in  the  dust.  Sour  ap- 
ples are  the  best  for  drying. 

Gooseberry  Vinegar. — To  every  quart  of  bruised 
gooseberries,  put  3 quarts  of  water.  Stir  well,  and 
let  stand  twenty-four  hours ; then  strain.  To  every 
gallon  of  liquor,  add  1 pound  brown  sugar,  and 
stir  well,  and  put  away  for  fermentation.  This 
vinegar  possesses  a pleasant  taste  and  smell. 

Brandy  Cherries  — Take  the  nicest  carnation 
cherries ; trim  them,  leaving  a short  stem  to  keep 


Miscellaneous. 


59 


in  the  juice;  wash  and  wipe  them  tenderly,  and 
put  them  into  wide-mouthed  bottles.  Make  a good 
syrup,  and,  when  it  is  nearly  done,  add  a pint  and 
a half  of  French  brandy  to  1 pint  of  syrup ; mix 
it  thoroughly,  and  when  cold,  pour  it  over  the 
cherries.  If  carefully  sealed,  the  fruit  will  be  good 
for  years. 

Walnut  Ketchup. — Take  half  a bushel  of  green 
walnuts,  before  the  shell  is  formed,  and  grind  them 
in  a crab  mill,  or  beat  them  in  a marble  mortar; 
then  squeeze  out  the  juices  through  a coarse  cloth, 
and  wring  the  cloth  well  to  get  all  the  juice  out, 
and  to  every  gallon  of  juice,  put  a quart  of  red 
wine,  a quarter  of  a pound  of  anchovies,  the  same 
of  bay  salt,  one  ounce  of  allspice,  two  of  long  or 
black  pepper,  half  an  ounce  of  cloves  and  mace,  a 
little  ginger  and  horse-radish,  cut  in  slices ; boil 
all  together  till  reduced  to  half  the  quantity ; pour 
into  a pan ; when  it  is  cold,  bottle  it,  cork  it  tight, 
and  it  will  be  fit  to  use  in  three  months.  If  you 
have  any  pickle  left  in  the  jar  after  your  walnuts 
are  used,  to  every  gallon  of  pickle,  put  in  two 
heads  of  garlic,  a quart  of  red  wine,  an  ounce  each, 
of  cloves  and  mace,  long,  black,  and  Jamaica  pep- 
per, and  boil  them  all  together,  till  it  is  reduced 
to  half  the  quantity;  pour  it  into  a pan,  and  the 
next  day,  bottle  it  for  use,  and  cork  it  tight. 


60 


Miscellaneous 


Vinegar.  Equal  to  Cider. — Take  1 pound  acetic 
acid;  1 quart  common  molasses;  10  gallons  soft 
water ; let  it  stand  for  two  or  three  weeks,  shaking 
it  occasionally,  and  you  will  have  a good  article. 

Acetic  acid  is  only  concentrated  vinegar,  so  you 
need  not  have  any  objection  to  its  use. 

Gooseberry  Champagne— Take  the  gooseberries 
before  they  are  ripe ; to  every  gallon  of  fruit,  add 
a gallon  of  water  ; let  it  stand  two  days,  stirring  it 
at  intervals;  mash  and  strain  out  the  juice;  to 
every  gallon  of  juice,  add  3 pounds  of  loaf  or 
crushed  sugar;  leave  it  stand  one  day  after  mixing 
well;  then  add  brandy  at  the  rate  of  1 pint  to 
every  7 gallons ; remove  the  scum,  and  leave  the 
cask  open  five  or  six  weeks ; then  bung  down,  and 
leave  stand  one  year  before  it  is  bottled. 

Blackberry  Syrup —Take  2 pounds  of  the 
smaller  blackberry  roots  and  2 gallons  of  water, 
and  boil  them  down  to  3 quarts;  add  5 pounds  of 
crushed  sugar  and  1 pint  best  brandy.  To  60  gal- 
lons thus  prepared,  add  3 pounds  of  allspice,  and 
2 pounds  each,  of  cloves  and  cassia.  The  smaller 
roots  are  much  better  than  the  larger  ones,  on  ac- 
count of  their  possessing  superior  astringent  quali- 
ties. 

Tomato  Mustard. — Cut  in  slices  and  boil  till  soft, 
1 peck  of  tomatoes ; strain  them  through  a sieve, 


Miscellaneous. 


61 


and  add  1 quart  of  vinegar;  put  it  back  on  the 
fire,  and  let  boil  till  thick.  Spice  it  just  before  tak- 
ing up,  thus : 1 teaspoonful  of  cayenne  pepper,  1 
tablespoonful,  each,  ground  cloves  and  mace,  2 of 
mustard  and  3 of  salt.  This  does  not  need  to  be 
sealed,  as  it  keeps  well  without. 


Cucumber  Catsup. — Take  3 dozen  full-grown  cu- 
cumbers and  8 white  onions.  Peel  and  chop  them 
both  as  fine  as  possible;  sprinkle  one-half  pint  of 
fine  salt  over  them,  and  let  drain  on  a sieve  12 
hours;  then  add  one-quarter  pound  of  mustard- 
seed,  and  2 ounces  of  black  pepper,  and  mix  all 
well  together.  Put  in  stone  jars  with  strong  vine- 
gar; close  up  tight,  and  in  3 days  it  is  fit  for  use. 
It  will  keep  for  years. 


Cider  Wine. — To  about  16  gallons  of  cider,  add 
1 quart  of  elderberries,  about  25  pounds  of  honey, 
6 pounds  of  sugar,  and  ID  ounces  of  red  tartar. 
Boil  it,  and  allow  it  to  ferment  at  a temperature 
of  60  degrees ; when  fermentation  ceases,  add  one- 
half  ounce,  each,  cinnamm  and  ginger;  5 quarts 
of  brandy.  Put  in  a barrel,  and  refine  with  isin- 
glass. Bottle  when  clear,  and  in  a few  months  it 
is  fit  for  use. 

Tomato  Sauco. — Take  1 peck  green  tomatoes, 
cut  into  slices,  and  on  every  layer  of  them,  sprinkle 
a little  salt;  let  it  stand  24  hours,  then  take  out 
6 


62 


Miscellaneous. 


the  tomatoes.  Have  ready  20  large  onions,  pared 
and  sliced,  and  6 green  peppers  sliced ; place  in  a 
stone  jar  a layer  of  tomatoes,  a layer  of  onions,  and 
a layer  of  peppers,  with  a little  spice  for  every 
separate  layer.  The  quantity  of  spice  requisite  for 
the  above  is  one-half  ounce,  each,  of  cloves,  allspice, 
and  mace.  Cover  it  with  cider  vinegar,  and  stand 
the  jar  on  the  stove  24  hours  to  simmer,  but  do 
not  let  it  come  to  a boil.  The  above  makes  an 
excellent  sauce  for  winter  use. 

To  Dry  Plums  . — Split  ripe  plums,  take  out  the 
stones,  and  lay  them  in  a warm,  oven  or  hot  sun  to 
dry ; do  not  let  them  get  wet ; turn  them,  that  they 
may  be  done  evenly,  and  when  perfectly  dry,  pack 
in  jars  or  boxes  lined  with  paper,  or  keep  them  in 
bags. 

To  Keep  Grapes. — They  should  be  selected  care- 
fully, taking  only  good  bunches,  and  removing  all 
bruised  or  unsound  berries.  Place  them  in  a box, 
a layer  composed  of  two  or  three  thicknesses  of  pa- 
per, or  cotton  between  each  layer  of  bunches.  Put 
the  boxes  in  a cool  room,  where  the  grapes  will 
not  freeze,  though  a slight  frost  will  not  injure 
them. 

Blackberry  Wine. — Gather  when  ripe,  and  put 
into  a vessel  with  the  head  out;  pour  on  boiling 


Miscellaneous. 


63 


water  to  cover  them.  When  cool,  mash  the  berries 
with  your  hands,  and  let  stand  several  days  until 
the  pulp  rises  to  the  top  and  forms  a crust.  Then 
draw  off  the  liquor  into  another  vessel,  and  to  every 
gallon,  add  1 pound  sugar;  mix  well,  and  put  into 
a cask  to  work  for  ten  days,  and  throw  off  any  re- 
maining lees,  keeping  the  cask  well  filled,  particu- 
larly at  the  commencement.  When  it  ceases  to 
work,  bung  it.  After  a few  months  it  can  be 
bottled. 

Vinegar  From  Apples —Take  a bushel  of  sour 
apples,  pound  them  up  in  a tub ; they  will  shortly 
begin  to  ferment ; then  add  some  water,  which  they 
will  soon  absorb ; keep  adding  day  by  day  as  much 
water  as  they  will  absorb.  At  the  end  of  a month, 
strain  off  the  liquor,  add  one-half  pint  of  vinegar, 
hot,  that  has  been  boiled  and  reduced  from  1 pint. 
In  six  weeks  you  will  have  excellent  vinegar. 

To  Dry  Herbs  , — Dry  the  gathered  crop,  thinly 
spread  out,  and  shaded  from  the  sun ; tie  the  herbs 
in  small  bundles,  and  keep  them  compactly  pressed 
down  and  covered  with  white  paper.  Or,  after 
drying  them,  put  each  sort  into  a small  box,  and 
by  means  of  boards,  of  the  size  of  the  interior  length 
and  width  of  the  box,  and  a screw-press,  press  the 
herbs  into  cakes,  or  little  trusses.  These  should 
be  afterwards  carefully  wrapped  up  in  paper,  and 


64 


Miscellaneous. 


be  kept  in  a dry  place,  when  they  will  retain  their 
aroma  as  perfectly  as  when  they  were  put  into  the 
press,  for  at  least  three  years.  By  the  common 
mode  of  hanging  up  herbs  in  loose  bundles,  the 
odor  soon  escapes. 

Tomato  Wins. — Take  small  ripe  tomatoes,  pick 
off  the  stems,  put  into  a basket  or  other  vessel  and 
wash  clean ; mash  well  and  strain  through  a linen 
cloth  (a  bushel  will  make  5 gallons);  then  add  2i 
or  3 pounds  of  brown  sugar  to  each  gallon ; put 
into  a cask  and  ferment,  by  leaving  the  bung  out 
48  hours;  then  bung  up  tight.  If  2 gallons  of  wa- 
ter be  added  to  each  bushel  of  tomatoes,  the  wine 
will  be  better.  Try  it,  and  be  convinced. 

Spicod  Tomatoes. — 7 pounds  tomatoes,  peeled, 
and  laid  in  a dish.  Take  3 pounds  of  brown  su- 
gar, 1 quart  of  vinegar,  and  a small  handful  of 
stick  cinnamon,  a few  cloves,  a tablespoonful  of 
salt;  boil  and  pour  over  the  fruit;  let  it  stand  over 
night,  then  boil  two  hours. 

Spiced  Currants. — Make  a syrup  of  6 pounds 
of  sugar,  and  a full  pint  of  sharp  vinegar,  and  6 
spoonsful  of  mixed  spices ; boil  and  strain  up  8 
pounds  of  currants;  boil  until  thick. 

Put  in  glass  or  stone  jars,  and  set  away  in  a cool 
place. 


Miscellaneous. 


65 


To  Dry  Corn  for  Winter  Use —Sweet  corn  is  the 
best. . Husk  it.  Have  a pot  of  boiling  water — put 
in  your  corn  and  let  it  boil  three  minutes — then 
cut  it  from  the  cobs  and  put  it  in  pans  in  a warm 
oven.  It  must  be  stirred  frequently;  when  per- 
fectly dry,  put  it  away  in  bags.  When  wanted  for 
use,  soak  it  all  night;  next  day,  boil  it  an  hour 
with  a little  salt;  before  it  is  dished,  stir  in  flour, 
pepper,  and  butter. 

Use  of  Fruits. — Instead  of  standing  in  any  fear 
of  a generous  consumption  of  ripe  fruits,  we  regard 
them  as  positively  conducive  to  health.  The  very 
maladies  commonly  assumed  to  have  their  origin 
in  the  free  use  of  apples,  peaches,  cherries,  melons, 
and  wild  berries,  have  been  quite  as  prevalent,  if 
not  equally  destructive  in  seasons  of  scarcity.  No 
one,  we  imagine,  ever  lived  longer  or  freer,  from 
the  paroxysms  of  disease,  by  discarding  the  deli- 
cious fruits  of  the  land  in  which  he  finds  his  home. 
On  the  contrary,  they  are  necessary  to  the  preserva- 
tion of  health,  and  therefore  make  their  appear- 
ance at  the  very  time  when  the  condition  of  the 
body,  operated  upon  by  the  deteriorating  causes, 
not  always  understood,  requires  their  grateful  reno- 
vating influence. 

Apple  Wine.— To  every  gallon  of  cider,  as  it 
comes  from  the  press,  add  2 pounds  of  crushed  su- 
6*  E 


66 


Miscellaneous. 


gar.  Boil  it  as  long  as  any  scum  arises;  then 
strain  it  through  a sieve,  and  let  it  cool ; add  some 
good  yeast,  mix  it  well;  let  it  work  three  weeks; 
then  skim  off  the  head;  draw  it  off,  and  add  2 
ounces  of  isinglass  to  the  barrel ; also,  add  half  a 
pint  of  wine  to  every  8 gallons. 

Baspbsrry  Cream.  Mrs.  P.’s.— Rub  a quart  of 
raspberries  through  a hair  sieve,  take  out  the  seeds, 
and  mix  it  well  with  cream ; sweeten  it  with  sugar 
to  your  taste;  then  put  it  into  a stone  jug,  and 
raise  a froth  with  a chocolate  mill.  As  the  froth 
rises,  take  it  off  with  a spoon,  and  lay  it  upon  a 
hair  sieve.  When  there  is  as  much  froth  as  wanted, 
put  what  cream  remains  into  a deep  china  dish, 
and  pour  the  frothed  cream  upon  it  as  light  as  it 
will  lie  on.  Very  nice,  try  it. 

Wow-Wow  SailCO. — Chop  parsley -leaves  fine; 
take  two  or  three  pickled  cucumbers,  or  walnuts, 
and  divide  into  small  squares,  and  set  them  by 
ready;  put  into  a saucepan,  butter  as  big  as  an 
egg;  when  it  is  melted,  stir  into  it  a tablespoonful 
of  fine  flour,  and  half  a pint  of  the  broth  of  the 
beef ; add  a tablespoonful  of  vinegar,  one  of  mush- 
roon  catsup,  or  port  wine,  or  both,  and  a teaspoon- 
ful of  made  mustard ; simmer  together  till  it  is  as 
thick  as  you  wish;  put  in  the  parsley  and  pickles 
to  get  warm,  and  pour  it  over  the  beef,  or  send  it 


Miscellaneous. 


67 


up  in  a sauce-tureen.  This  is  excellent  for  stewed 
or  boiled  beef. 

Peach.  Cordial. — In  preserving  peaches,  there  is 
generally  more  syrup  than  is  required  for  the  pre- 
serves. To  every  pint  of  syrup,  add  a pint  of  good 
brandy ; stir  this  well  together ; bottle  and  cork 
tightly;  this  is  very  nice,  diluted  with  water,  for 
summer. 

Turnip  Wine. — Take  a number  of  turnips,  pare 
and  slice  them  ; then  press  them  and  obtain  all  the 
juice  you  can.  To  every  gallon  of  juice,  add  3 
pounds  of  crushed  sugar,  and  half  a pint  of  brandy. 
Pour  into  a cask,  but  do  not  bung  until  it  has 
done  working;  then  bung,  and  leave  stand  for 
three  months ; when  it  is  fine,  bottle  and  cork  well. 

Vinegar  from  the  Plant —Ingredients:  Three 
pints  of  water,  a quarter  of  a pound  of  molasses, 
half  a pound  of  coarse  moist  sugar.  Mode:  Mix 
the  above  ingredients  together,  pour  the  mixture 
over  the  vinegar  plant,  placed  in  a stone  jar  with 
a close-fitting  lid,  paper  over  the  lid  and  keep  for 
two  months  in  a dry  place ; then  pour  off  the  liq- 
uor, boil,  skim,  and  strain  it;  when  cold,  bottle 
and  cork  closely,  and  treat  the  vinegar  plant  as 
before. 

To  Keep  Cranberries— Put  them  in  a firkin  of 
water  in  the  cellar.  They  will  keep  good  all  win- 


68 


Miscellaneous. 


ter,  and  are  very  nice  for  tarts  or  to  stew,  as  a rel- 
ish to  eat  with  fowls. 

Com  Oysters. — One  pint  of  grated  green  corn, 
one  cup  of  flour,  one  dessert-spoonful  of  salt,  one 
teaspoonful  of  pepper,  one  egg. 

Mix  the  ingredients  together,  drop,  and  fry  them 
in  hot  lard.  In  taste  they  resemble  fried  oysters ; 
are  an  excellent  relish  for  breakfast,  and  a good 
side-dish  for  dinner. 

Honey  Vinegar. — To  one  quart  of  clear  honey, 
put  eight  quarts  of  warm  water ; mix  it  well  to- 
gether; when  it  has  passed  through  the  acetous 
fermentation,  a white  vinegar  will  be  formed,  in 
many  respects  better  than  the  ordinary  vinegar. 

Frosted  Fruits. — Take  large  ripe  apricots,  plums 
or  grapes ; have  in  one  dish  some  white  of  an  egg 
beaten,  and  in  another,  some  powdered  white  su- 
gar ; Take  the  fruit,  one  at  a time,  and  roll  them 
first  in  the  egg,  and  then  in  the  sugar ; lay  them 
on  a sheet  of  white  paper  in  a sieve,  and  set  it  on 
the  top  jof  the  stove,  or  near  the  fire,  till  the  icing 
is  hard. 

Currant  Cream. — Take  some  currants  thor- 
oughly ripe;  bruise  them  in  boiled  cream;  add 
beaten  cinnamon,  and  sweeten  to  your  taste;  then 
strain  it  through  a fine  sieve,  and  serve. 


Miscellaneous. 


69 


Tomato  Salad. — Take  2 ripe  tomatoes,  free  from 
bruises,  and  slice  them  very  thin.  Then  add  to 
them,  2 onions  about  the  same  size,  peeled  and 
sliced  very  thin ; dish  them  around,  first  a slice  of 
’ onion  and  then  of  tomato,  till  you  have  dished  all 
up.  Now  take  4 tablespoonsful  of  the  best  salad 
oil ; 2 of  vinegar ; a small  teaspoonful  of  pepper, 
and  half  a one  of  salt;  give  it  a slight  shake,  and 
it  is  ready  for  use,  either  with  cold  or  hot  meat. 
This  salad  is  delicious,  try  it. 

Parsnip  Wins. — Boil  until  soft,  15  pounds  of 
sliced  parsnips  in  5 gallons  of  water ; press  the  liq- 
uor out  of  them ; run  it  through  a sieve,  and  add 
3 pounds  of  white  sugar  to  every  gallon,  and  boil 
all  for  1 hour.  When  it  is  nearly  cold,  add  a little 
yeast  on  toast.  Let  it  remain  in  a tub  for  ten 
days ; then  put  it  into  a cask  for  a year.  As  it 
works  over,  fill  it  up. 

Fmit  Creams. — Take  a half  an  ounce  of  isin- 
glass, dissolved  in  a little  water ; then  put  one  pint 
of  good  cream,  sweetened  to  the  taste ; boil  ifc ; when 
nearly  cold,  lay  some  apricot  or  raspberry  jam  on 
the  bottom  of  a glass  dish,  and  pour  it  over.  This 
is  most  excellent. 

Vinegar  from  Tea  Leaves— A good  article  of 
vinegar  can  be  made  by  taking  the  tea  left  at  the 


70 


Miscellaneous. 


table,  or  by  boiling  over  in  water  the  tea  leaves ; 
then  place  the  liquor  in  a cask,  and  add  about  a 
pound  of  brown  sugar  to  each  gallon  of  tea,  with 
a little  yeast.  It  will  soon  ferment,  and  make  an 
excellent  and  cheap  vinegar  for  table  use. 

Tomato  Pasto. — Scald  and  peel  as  many  ripe  to- 
matoes as  will  fill  a large  stone  jug.  Set  them  into 
a warm  oven  for  an  hour.  Then  skim  off  the  wa- 
tery liquid  that  has  risen  to  tlfe  top;  press  and 
squeeze  them  in  a sieve ; afterwards  add  salt,  cay- 
enne pepper,  pounded  mace,  and  powdered  cloves 
to  your  taste;  to  every  quart  of  tomatoes,  allow  a 
half  a pint  of  cider  vinegar.  Stew  the  whole  slowly 
in  a porcelain  kettle  for  three  hours,  (stirring  it 
frequently  from  the  bottom,)  till  it  becomes  a 
smooth,  thick  paste.  Then  put  it  into  small  jars 
or  glasses,  and  cover  it  closely,  pasting  paper  over 
each.  It  is  an  excellent  sauce,  at  the  season  when 
fresh  tomatoes  are  not  to  be  had,  and  is  very  good 
to  thicken  soup. 


THE  END. 


X 1ST  D E X 


Apple  Butter 

“ Ginger 

Jelly,  B 

“ “ H 

“ Marmalade 

44  Pickle,  sweet 

44  Preserve 

“ “ with  Quince., 

“ to  Dry 

“ “ Make  Vinegar.... 

44  Wine 

Apricot  Jelly 

44  Marmalade 

44  Preserve 

Asparagus  Pickle,  P 

Beans,  Canning 

“ Pickle,  J 

Beet  Root  Pickle 

Blackberry  Brandy 

44  Cordial,  D 

“ “ S.  D.  A.. 

44  Canning 

“ Marmalade 

*•  Syrup 

44  Wine 

Butternut  Pickles 

Cabbage  Pickle,  Red,  P 


“ “ with  Peppers.. 

Cantaloupe  Rind  Preserved 

“ Spiced,  J 

Caper  Pickle 

Cauliflower  Pickle 

Cement  for  Jars,  common .... 

Cherry  Brandy 

44  Marmalade 

‘ Preserved,  common... 

“ P 

“ “ C 

Chow  Chow  Pickle 

Cider  Wine.  

“ to  Keep  Sweet 

Citron  Preserve,  P 

“ Spiced.  W 


Corn,  Canning,  green 49 

“ to  Dry 65 

44  Oysters 68 

Covering  for  Preserves 52 

Crab  Apple  “ 9 

Cranberry  Jelly 36 

44  to  Keep 67 

Crystalized  Fruits,  H.  B....  49 

Cucumber  Catsup 61 

Pickle, with  Onion  22 

“ 19 

44  H 20 

44  P 20 

44  ripe 20 

Preserve,  G 18 

Sauce,  J 53 

Currant,  Canning,  green,.. . 47 

Cream 68 

Jelly,  P. 35 

4*  S 35 

44  red 35 

Marmalade,  white, red.  39 

Spiced 64 

Shrub  54 

Wine... 57 

Egg  Pickle 32 

Fruit  Cream 69 

44  Frosted 68 

44  Stains,  to  take  out. . 55 

Gherkin  Pickle 21 

Ginger  Candy 55 

44  Preserved,  to  imitate  11 

44  44  17 

Gooseberry  Champagne....  60 

Fool 52 

Jelly 42 

Preserved 16 

Vinegar 58 

Wine 50 

Grape  Marmalade,  McC. ...  39 


to  Keep. . 
Pickle. 

44  Syrup.. 
Green  Pickle. 


71 


72 


INDEX. 


Green  Gage  Marmalade 43 

“ “ Preserve 13 

Herbs,  to  Dry 63 

Honey  Vinegar 68 

Jellies,  without  boiling 41 

Lemon  Pickle 24 

“ “ C 25 

“ Preserve,  J 12 

“ “ S 18 

Mushroom  Pickle,  large 23 

Muskmelon  Mangoes. 28 

Nasturtion  Pickle,  P 30 

Onion  Pickle,  with  Cucumber  22 

“ “ 26 

Orange  Marmalade 41 

“ Preserve 12 

Parsnip  Wine 69 

Peach,  Canning 45 

“ R 45 

Cordial 67 

to  Dry 58 

Kernel  Flavor 56 

Leather,  McC 53 

Mangoes 30 

Marmalade 36 

Pickle,  cling 27 

“ free 27 

Preserve,  P 6 

“ S 6 

“ common 6 

‘ 1 with  Brandy. . . 7 

Pear  Canning 46 

“ Marmalade,  P 43 

“ Preserve,  P 8 

Pea  Canning 48 

Pepper  Pickle,  withCabbage.  32 

“ Pod  Pickle 23 

Piccalillo  Pickle,  or  Indian.  26 

Pineapple  Canning,  P 46 

“ Preserve,  P 15 

“ “ H 15 

Plum,  to  Dry 62 

“ Pickle 23 

“ Preserve,  purple 13 

“ “ P 13 

Preservi’g  Fruits  in  Brandy  14 

Pumpkin,  to  Dry 56 

“ Preserve 11 

Quince  Preserve,  with  Apple  16 
Quince  Marmalade,  H.  .,...37 


Quince  Marmalade,  G 

“ Preserve,  P 

Radish  Pod  Pickle,  P 

Raspberry  Cream,  P 

“ Marmalade,  H. 

U i(  p 

“ Preserve 

“ Vinegar 

Rhubarb  Jelly,  S 

Preserve 

Wine 

Sealing  Wax,  for  cans,  &c.. 

Strawberry  Canning 

“ Marmalade 

“ Preserve,  whole 


Sugar,  to  Clarify 

Sweet  Pickle,  P 

Tomato  Butter,  S 

Catsup 

•*  uncooked. . . . 
Canning,  P 


Marmalade 

Mustard 

Pickle 

“ green 

“ egg 

Preserve 

“ P 

Paste..... 

Salad 

Sauce 

Spiced 

Vinegar 

Wine 

Turnip  “ 

Use  of  Fruits 

Vinegar  from  Apples 

“ equal  Cider 

“ from  the  Plant 

“ Honey 

“ from  Tea  Leaves. . . 

Walnut  Catsup 

“ Pickle 

Watermelon  Butter,  W ... 

“ Molasses 

“ Pickle,  W.... 
Wow  Wow  Sauce 


